Seedling development of perennial ryegrass is impacted by polyvinylchloride microplastics, tire wear particles and their leachates

Autor: Cornelsen, H.; Müller, J.; Wrage-Mönnig, N.
In:

Microplastics and Nanoplastics

Bandangabe: 6
Auflage: 38
Gesamttitelundnr1: Seedling development of perennial ryegrass is impacted by polyvinylchloride microplastics, tire wear particles and their leachates
Ergaenzung: open access Journal, keine klassischen Seitenangaben hier.
Jahr: 2026

Einordung:
Institut: Professur Grünland- und Futterbauwissenschaften

Abstract:
Increasing amounts of microplastic (MP) in soils may pose a hazard to agricultural ecosystems. To date, research
has largely concentrated on MP quantification in environmental samples and MP impacts on aquatic organisms,
humans and food chains, whereas responses of crop and fodder plants to MP particles and their respective
leachates remain a knowledge gap. The present study evaluated the effects of two MP types - polyvinylchloride
(PVC) and recycled tire crumb (RTC; proxy for tire wear particles, TWP) - and their respective leachates on
germination and early growth of Lolium multiflorum in a laboratory trial. For fragment treatments, different
concentrations and RTC size fractions were applied, whereas leachate treatments were applied at a single extract
ratio, to disentangle chemical from physical MP effects. Leaf δ13C-signatures were additionally measured as a proxy
for early physiological responses. Exposure to fragments or leachates reduced normal germination and increased
the proportion of ungerminated and abnormally germinated seeds. Leachates predominantly affected germination
and root elongation, but not biomass production; the strongest effects were observed for PVC leachates.
Fragments generally caused stronger adverse effects than leachates, and PVC affected growth parameters
more than RTC. Contrary to expectations, the smallest RTC size did not induce the strongest responses, and no
consistent interaction between RTC fragment size and concentration was observed. Leaf δ13C-signatures showed
treatment-related trends, but values were depleted rather than enriched, consistent with altered carbon isotope
discrimination and early physiological functioning during seedling growth. This study focused on comparatively
large concentrations of MP; therefore, our results should be interpreted in terms of hazard potential rather than as
a direct representation of MP loads under field conditions. Overall, the findings confirm that MP can impair plant
establishment and affect early physiological processes. Chemical (leachate-mediated) and physical (fragmentmediated)
effects are both relevant in this context.

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