Author(s)

Jiying Zou¹, Chenyu Wang², Jianwei Li^1,3, Jia Wei¹, Ying Liu¹, Liangyu Hu⁴, Hui Liu^1*, Hongfeng Bian^3*, Dazhi Sun^1*

¹College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, Jilin, China.
²College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
³School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
⁴Yangtze River Shipping Public Security Bureau, Wuhan, China.

Solanum nigrum L. has a delightful prospect as a hyperaccumulation plant for cadmium pollution remediation, and microplastic is a new type of pollution that has received wide attention. In this study, the effects of polyethylene microplastics (LDPE) (0.135, 0.27, 0.81 and 1.35 mg·kg^-1) and cadmium (20 mg·kg^-1) on the growth indexes and soil physical and chemical properties of Solanum nigrum L. were investigated in a 17-day microcosm experiment. The results showed that single LDPE contamination showed a trend of low concentration promotion and medium-high concentration inhibited the growth index of Solanum nigrum L. and soil physicochemical index, and single Cd contamination was more stressful to plants than single LDPE contamination, while low concentration of LDPE could reduce the effect of Cd on soil physical and chemical properties and promote plant growth and uptake of soil nutrients. These findings suggest that high concentrations of microplastics can inhibit the growth of Solanum nigrum L. alone or in combination with Cd, rather than reducing the toxicity of Cd.

Microplastics, Heavy Metal, Compound Pollution, Phytoremediation, Solanum nigrum L.

Zou, J. , Wang, C. , Li, J. , Wei, J. , Liu, Y. , Hu, L. , Liu, H. , Bian, H. and Sun, D. (2022) Effect of Polyethylene (LDPE) Microplastic on Remediation of Cadmium Contaminated Soil by Solanum nigrum L.. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 10, 49-64. doi: 10.4236/gep.2022.101004.