ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Response of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)
Growth to Soil Microplastic Pollution
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1
College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
2
Upland Flue-Cured Tobacco Quality & Ecology Key Laboratory of CNTC, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science,
Guiyang 550081, China
3
Guizhou Tobacco Corporation, Guiyang 550004, China 116025
4
College of Tobacco Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, China
Submission date: 2023-12-11
Final revision date: 2024-01-14
Acceptance date: 2024-01-20
Online publication date: 2024-02-29
Publication date: 2024-06-27
Corresponding author
Weichang Gao
Upland Flue-Cured Tobacco Quality & Ecology Key Laboratory of CNTC, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science,
Guiyang 550081, China
Kai Cai
Upland Flue-Cured Tobacco Quality & Ecology Key Laboratory of CNTC, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science,
Guiyang 550081, China
Wenjie Pan
Guizhou Tobacco Corporation, Guiyang 550004, China 116025
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(5):5357-5365
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ABSTRACT
Microplastics (MPs) have distributed in agricultural soil. However, the effects of MPs on the growth of
tobacco remain unclear. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of linear
low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) MPs at four different concentrations (0 mg·kg-1 as control, 10 mg·kg-1,
100 mg·kg-1, and 1000 mg·kg-1) on soil enzyme activity, physiological characteristics, and tobacco growth.
The results showed that compared with the control, the treatments of 100 and 1000 mg·kg-1 significantly
inhibited the activities of soil catalase (S-CAT) and soil sucrase (S-SC). Compared with the control, the
1000 mg·kg-1 treatment significantly altered root morphology, inhibited tobacco growth, and water content,
resulting in a significant decrease in chlorophyll a content, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)
activities in tobacco leaves, thereby incited a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and
peroxidase (POD) activity. Interestingly, the 10 mg·kg-1 treatment stimulated the activity of soil urease
(S-UE) and root biomass. Overall, this study highlights the significant impact of MPs on soil enzymes,
oxidative damage to tobacco, and inhibition of tobacco growth and development. It emphasizes the
environmental risks of MPs pollution in soil, particularly for commercial crops like tobacco, and provides
insights for controlling MPs abundance in the environment. Further research is needed to investigate the
underlying mechanisms of MPs’ effects on metabolism and genes in the soil-tobacco-microbial system.