Microbiome of Corn rhizosphere polluted with microplastics and chemicals
Emerging contaminants (ECs) such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides and industrial chemicals, are increasingly detected in agricultural ecosystems, where they can adversely affect crop production and soil microbiota. Moreover, agricultural soils are also polluted with microplastics (MPs), either from conventional plastic which is highly persistent, or biodegradable plastic which is designed to degrade but can still form small particles that interact with soil biota. Although the individual effects of ECs and MPs on plants and soil microbial communities have been studied, their combined effects remain poorly understood.In this study, we investigate how a mixture of ECs (diuron, terbutryn, ciprofloxacin, diclofenac, and 17a-ethinnylestradiol (EE2) ), polypropylene MPs (PP), biodegradable MPs (BMP), and their combinations affect maize (Zea mays L.), a globally important crop with strong links to rhizosphere processes. For this purpose, , we assess plant growth, contaminant uptake, rhizosphere volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and microbial community composition of the rhizosphere.