AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study examined how petroleum contaminants affect the decomposition of litter from plants grown in soil with varying levels of petroleum (0, 15, 30, and 45 g/kg).
  • - Results showed that higher petroleum levels decreased carbon and nitrogen in litter but increased lignin and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), while also affecting enzyme activities related to decomposition.
  • - Litter from moderately contaminated soil (15 and 30 g/kg) decomposed slower than that from uncontaminated soil, indicating a complex relationship between petroleum contamination and litter decomposition processes.

Article Abstract

The accumulation of petroleum contaminants in phytoremediating plants can significantly impact the decomposition of their litter. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects and the potential influence of the contaminant concentration remain unclear. In this study, litter from plants grown in soil with varying concentrations of petroleum (0, 15, 30, and 45 g kg) was collected. The litter samples were then inoculated with soil microorganisms and subjected to an indoor simulation of decomposition under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. Changes in the chemical properties, activities of decomposition-related enzymes in the litter, and decomposition rates were measured. Additionally, structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the mechanism through which soil petroleum contamination affects litter decomposition. The findings revealed several key points: (1) increasing soil petroleum contamination tended to reduce the concentration of carbon and nitrogen in litter while increasing those of lignin and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). (2) Soil petroleum contamination tended to increase the activities of both total lignocellulases and total nutrient cycling-related enzymes in litter. (3) Soil petroleum contamination might indirectly inhibit the activity of lignocellulases by increasing the concentration of lignin and TPH in litter. However, it might also directly accelerate the activity of these enzymes, resulting in contradictory effects on litter decomposition. (4) Finally, litter produced in soil contaminated with 15 and 30 g kg of petroleum exhibited significantly lower decomposition rates than that from uncontaminated soil.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4em00096jDOI Listing

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