Synthetic phenolic antioxidant contamination in farmland soils induced by mulching films: Distribution and transformation pathways
Shanxing Wu1, Meng Gao1, Bo Fang1
1MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
Related Experiment Videos
Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture
Published on: May 10, 2013
06:54Elucidating the Metabolism of 2,4-Dibromophenol in Plants
Published on: February 10, 2023
08:21Forming Micro-and Nano-Plastics from Agricultural Plastic Films for Employment in Fundamental Research Studies
Published on: July 27, 2022
View abstract on PubMed
Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) from mulch films contaminate farmland soils, posing ecological risks. Soil microbes accelerate SPA transformation, revealing key degradation pathways for these emerging contaminants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Soil Science
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) are used in agricultural mulch films.
- Their presence, distribution, and transformation in farmland soils are largely unknown.
- Mulch films are a potential source of SPAs in agricultural environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and distribution of 19 SPAs and 4 transformation products (TPs) in Chinese farmland soils.
- To assess the ecological risks associated with SPAs in these soils.
- To elucidate the transformation characteristics and pathways of a representative SPA (Ir1010) in soil.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 19 SPAs and 4 TPs in farmland soils using advanced analytical techniques.
- Soil incubation experiments to study the degradation of Ir1010 under different conditions (sterilized vs. unsterilized).
- Nontargeted high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify Ir1010 TPs and elucidate transformation pathways.
Main Results:
- SPAs and TPs were significantly higher in film-mulching soils than non-film-mulching soils.
- Estimated risk quotients (RQs) for SPAs indicated considerable ecological risk (up to 14.7).
- Ir1010 degraded rapidly in unsterilized soil (half-life 6.73 days) compared to sterilized soil, with 10 TPs identified, suggesting microbial degradation via epoxidation, hydroxylation, and hydrolysis.
Conclusions:
- Mulch films are a significant source of SPAs and their TPs in farmland soils.
- SPAs represent emerging agricultural contaminants with considerable ecological risks.
- Soil microbial activity plays a crucial role in the transformation of SPAs, with specific pathways identified.