Biodegradable microplastics in soils cause CO₂ emissions to rise

Biodegradable microplastic particles in soils can lead to an increased rise in CO₂ emissions to the Earth's atmosphere. This is shown by an interdisciplinary study published in "Applied Soil Ecology" by the Collaborative Research Centre 1357 "Microplastics" at the University of Bayreuth. In this study, experts from the BayCEER working groups Soil Ecology and Ecological Microbiology compare the effects of a conventional and a biodegradable plastic in different soils in a systematic way for the first time. The consequences for the microbial biomass in the soils, especially on bacteria and fungi, are also analyzed.