{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T05:12:10Z","timestamp":1788671530035,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788480000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005046","name":"Heilongjiang Province Natural Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["LH2022C053"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LH2022C053"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005046","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Soil microplastic pollution may affect woody plant establishment, but evidence for tree seedlings remains limited. Populus simonii \u00d7 P. nigra \u20181307\u2019 seedlings were grown for 45 d in soil containing an equal-mass PVC\u2013PE\u2013PS mixture at 0, 100, 500, or 1000 mg kg\u22121 dry soil. Growth, root architecture and activity, photosynthetic traits, oxidative status, and soil chemical and enzymatic properties were measured. The 100 mg kg\u22121 treatment produced limited, trait-specific changes and did not consistently inhibit growth. In contrast, 500 and 1000 mg kg\u22121 reduced most growth and physiological traits. At 1000 mg kg\u22121, total dry biomass, total root length, root surface area, root volume, root-tip number, and root activity decreased by 43.7%, 46.5%, 47.2%, 50.2%, 51.1%, and 50.9%, respectively. Net photosynthetic rate and PSII electron transport declined, whereas H2O2, O2\u2022\u2212 production, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and electrolyte leakage increased. Under higher exposure, soil electrical conductivity was higher, whereas available nutrient levels and several soil enzyme activities were lower. These results indicate that medium and high concentrations of the tested mixture were associated with concurrent inhibition of root development, photosynthetic performance, and biomass accumulation under short-term pot conditions. Because concurrent impairment of woody-seedling performance and soil biochemical functioning may compromise vegetation establishment, these findings support the inclusion of mixed-polymer exposure in ecological risk assessments for soils used in forestry and ecological restoration.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology15171534","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T12:20:46Z","timestamp":1788524446000},"page":"1534","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Growth, Root, Photosynthetic, and Soil Responses of Poplar Seedlings to an Equal-Mass PVC\u2013PE\u2013PS Microplastic Mixture"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Jun","family":"Dong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Cold Region Wetland Ecology and Environment Research, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6806-9199","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jinbo","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Harbin 150040, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Jinlong","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Cold Region Wetland Ecology and Environment Research, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Zimo","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Cold Region Wetland Ecology and Environment Research, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Nan","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Cold Region Wetland Ecology and Environment Research, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Haixiu","family":"Zhong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Harbin 150040, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Lijun","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agricultural and Hydraulic Engineering, Suihua University, Suihua 152061, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"838","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1094559","article-title":"Lost at sea: Where is all the plastic?","volume":"304","author":"Thompson","year":"2004","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1016\/j.geoderma.2018.02.015","article-title":"The distribution and morphology of microplastics in coastal soils adjacent to the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea","volume":"322","author":"Zhou","year":"2018","journal-title":"Geoderma"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1405","DOI":"10.1111\/gcb.14020","article-title":"Microplastics as an emerging threat to terrestrial ecosystems","volume":"24","author":"Kloas","year":"2018","journal-title":"Glob. Change Biol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1377","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2018.01.341","article-title":"An overview of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in agroecosystems","volume":"627","author":"Ng","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1048","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2018.07.229","article-title":"Macro- and micro-plastics in soil\u2013plant system: Effects of plastic mulch film residues on wheat (Triticum aestivum) growth","volume":"645","author":"Qi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6044","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.9b01339","article-title":"Microplastics can change soil properties and affect plant performance","volume":"53","author":"Lau","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11496","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.9b03304","article-title":"Effects of microplastics in soil ecosystems: Above and below ground","volume":"53","author":"Boots","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127531","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2021.127531","article-title":"Effects of microplastics on soil properties: Current knowledge and future perspectives","volume":"424","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161211","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2022.161211","article-title":"Nano- and microplastics commonly cause adverse impacts on plants at environmentally relevant levels: A systematic review","volume":"867","author":"Zantis","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133417","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2023.133417","article-title":"Effects of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on the soil\u2013rhizosphere\u2013plant system: Phytotoxicity, enzyme activity, and microbial community","volume":"465","author":"Lian","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"915","DOI":"10.1007\/s11104-025-07223-x","article-title":"Artificial particles and soil communities interactively change heterospecific plant-soil feedbacks","volume":"513","author":"Gurres","year":"2025","journal-title":"Plant Soil"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6259","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-026-37686-z","article-title":"Microplastic uptake and impacts on crops under realistic exposure: Implications for soil\u2013plant systems","volume":"33","author":"Ziajahromi","year":"2026","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141339","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2026.141339","article-title":"Effects of a mixture of mulching film microplastics on soil properties, microbial activities, and plants in terrestrial mesocosms with and without earthworms","volume":"504","author":"Zantis","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"551","DOI":"10.1093\/aob\/mcn125","article-title":"Photosynthesis under drought and salt stress: Regulation mechanisms from whole plant to cell","volume":"103","author":"Chaves","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ann. Bot."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3344","DOI":"10.1111\/pce.14815","article-title":"A guide to photosynthetic gas exchange measurements: Fundamental principles, best practice and potential pitfalls","volume":"47","author":"Busch","year":"2024","journal-title":"Plant Cell Environ."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"659","DOI":"10.1093\/jexbot\/51.345.659","article-title":"Chlorophyll fluorescence\u2014A practical guide","volume":"51","author":"Maxwell","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.arplant.59.032607.092759","article-title":"Chlorophyll fluorescence: A probe of photosynthesis in vivo","volume":"59","author":"Baker","year":"2008","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Plant Biol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3983","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/ert208","article-title":"Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis: A guide to good practice and understanding some new applications","volume":"64","author":"Murchie","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1016\/S1360-1385(02)02312-9","article-title":"Oxidative stress, antioxidants and stress tolerance","volume":"7","author":"Mittler","year":"2002","journal-title":"Trends Plant Sci."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127238","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2021.127238","article-title":"Impact of microplastics on growth, photosynthesis and essential elements in Cucurbita pepo L.","volume":"423","author":"Colzi","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plaphy.2022.11.004","article-title":"Surface functionalization and size of polystyrene microplastics concomitantly regulate growth, photosynthesis and anti-oxidant status of Cicer arietinum L.","volume":"194","author":"Dey","year":"2023","journal-title":"Plant Physiol. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00257924","article-title":"Short-term assay of soil urease activity using colorimetric determination of ammonium","volume":"6","author":"Kandeler","year":"1988","journal-title":"Biol. Fertil. Soils"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Weaver, R.W., Angle, J.S., and Bottomley, P.S. (1994). Soil enzymes. Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2: Microbiological and Biochemical Properties, Soil Science Society of America.","DOI":"10.2136\/sssabookser5.2"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Xu, N., Ding, J., Zhang, T., Dong, J., Wang, Y., and Yang, X. (2023). Effects of elevated CO2 concentration and temperature on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Populus simonii \u00d7 P. nigra \u20181307\u2019 leaves. Forests, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/f14112156"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Xu, N., Wei, X., Wang, Y., Dong, J., and Yang, X. (2025). Mechanism of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in enhancing lead stress resistance in poplar trees. Forests, 16.","DOI":"10.3390\/f16010082"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"166935","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2023.166935","article-title":"Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in soils from greenhouse and open-field cultivation using plastic mulch film","volume":"905","author":"Qi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137837","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2023.137837","article-title":"Abundances of agricultural microplastics and their contribution to the soil organic carbon pool in plastic film mulching fields of Xinjiang, China","volume":"316","author":"Yu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176341","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2024.176341","article-title":"Investigation of the effects of polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations on the plant\u2013soil\u2013microbiota system: A two-year field trial","volume":"954","author":"Xu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"350","DOI":"10.1016\/0076-6879(87)48036-1","article-title":"Chlorophylls and carotenoids: Pigments of photosynthetic biomembranes","volume":"148","author":"Lichtenthaler","year":"1987","journal-title":"Methods Enzymol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-4165(89)80016-9","article-title":"The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence","volume":"990","author":"Genty","year":"1989","journal-title":"Biochim. Biophys. Acta"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(84)90039-3","article-title":"Estimation of hydrogen peroxide in plant extracts using titanium(IV)","volume":"139","author":"Patterson","year":"1984","journal-title":"Anal. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"616","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(76)90488-7","article-title":"Inhibition of nitrite formation from hydroxylammoniumchloride: A simple assay for superoxide dismutase","volume":"70","author":"Elstner","year":"1976","journal-title":"Anal. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-9861(68)90654-1","article-title":"Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplasts. I. Kinetics and stoichiometry of fatty acid peroxidation","volume":"125","author":"Heath","year":"1968","journal-title":"Arch. Biochem. Biophys."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"604","DOI":"10.1007\/s004250050524","article-title":"Improving the thiobarbituric acid-reactive-substances assay for estimating lipid peroxidation in plant tissues containing anthocyanin and other interfering compounds","volume":"207","author":"Hodges","year":"1999","journal-title":"Planta"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"276","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(71)90370-8","article-title":"Superoxide dismutase: Improved assays and an assay applicable to acrylamide gels","volume":"44","author":"Beauchamp","year":"1971","journal-title":"Anal. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"764","DOI":"10.1016\/S0076-6879(55)02300-8","article-title":"Assay of catalases and peroxidases","volume":"2","author":"Chance","year":"1955","journal-title":"Methods Enzymol."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"867","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.pcp.a076232","article-title":"Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts","volume":"22","author":"Nakano","year":"1981","journal-title":"Plant Cell Physiol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"160025","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2022.160025","article-title":"Type-dependent effects of microplastics on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.): Focus on root exudates and metabolic reprogramming","volume":"859","author":"Shi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_39","first-page":"185","article-title":"Effects of microplastics on garlic growth and gas-exchange parameters","volume":"4","author":"Han","year":"2026","journal-title":"China Veg."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161557","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2023.161557","article-title":"Effects of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics on photosynthesis, antioxidant defense systems, and arsenic accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings grown in arsenic-contaminated soils","volume":"868","author":"Sun","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"154039","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jplph.2023.154039","article-title":"Physiological analysis and transcriptome profiling reveals the impact of microplastic on melon (Cucumis melo L.) seed germination and seedling growth","volume":"287","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Plant Physiol."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119168","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-023-30550-4","article-title":"Dose-dependent toxicity of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) on physiological and biochemical response of blackgram and its associated rhizospheric soil properties","volume":"30","author":"Sahasa","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135971","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2024.135971","article-title":"Silicon alleviates the toxicity of microplastics on kale by regulating hormones, phytochemicals, ascorbate\u2013glutathione cycling, and photosynthesis","volume":"480","author":"Tong","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."}],"container-title":["Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-7737\/15\/17\/1534\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T04:21:07Z","timestamp":1788668467000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-7737\/15\/17\/1534"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]]},"references-count":43,"journal-issue":{"issue":"17","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["biology15171534"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/biology15171534","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-7737"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-7737","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]]}}}