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  <doc>
    <id>1773</id>
    <completedYear/>
    <publishedYear>2023</publishedYear>
    <thesisYearAccepted/>
    <language>eng</language>
    <pageFirst/>
    <pageLast/>
    <pageNumber/>
    <edition/>
    <issue/>
    <volume/>
    <type>bachelorthesis</type>
    <publisherName/>
    <publisherPlace/>
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    <belongsToBibliography>0</belongsToBibliography>
    <completedDate>2023-07-10</completedDate>
    <publishedDate>--</publishedDate>
    <thesisDateAccepted>2023-06-27</thesisDateAccepted>
    <title language="eng">Combined effects of microplastics and heavy metals:  implications for soil microbial ecology</title>
    <abstract language="eng">There is substantial evidence that microplastic pollution and heavy metal contamination pose a significant threat to the health of soils and the functioning of ecosystems. However, little is known about the interactions between heavy metals and microplastics, as well as possible biological effects when the two are combined. It is possible that MPs and heavy metals can interact in soil, causing &#13;
changes in their environmental behaviour, bioavailability, and potentially toxic properties, further posing ecological risks. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the individual and combined impacts of microplastics and heavy metals on soil chemical properties, microbial biomass, microbial activity, and &#13;
microbial communities in soil treated with varying concentrations of these pollutants. In an incubation experiment, soil was amended with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and a mixture of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, and Ni) in two concentrations (Low and High). Seven treatments (Control; MP-L; MP-H; HM-L; HM-H; MP+HM-L and MP+HM-H) were analysed in seven replications. The rate of microbial respiration was determined during incubation. Following incubation, soil pH, microbial biomass carbon (C), nitrogen (N), soil fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity, and the abundance of archaea, bacteria, and fungi were measured as well as the effects on inorganic nitrogen (NO3-, NH4+) were determined. It was found that no significant difference existed between the control treatment and LDPE treatment in terms of soil pH, FDAse activity, microbial biomass, microbial respiration, inorganic nitrogen, and abundance of archaea, bacteria, or fungi, regardless of the concentration of LDPE (0.6%, 1.2%). &#13;
Heavy metal treatment did, however, result in a significant decrease in soil pH, NO3, and microbial respiration particularly at high concentrations (2.68 mg kg-1), compared with treatments with LDPE and a control, suggesting that HMs suppressed microbial activity. Additionally, HMs also reduced MBN and MBC, indicating their negative effect on microbial biomass. As a result of the combination of microplastics and heavy metals, microbial biomass, and microbial respiration decreased significantly when compared to either the control treatments or the microplastics alone treatment. Additionally, the combined treatment reduces NO3- and soil pH significantly compared to the control and sole microplastic treatment There was no significant effect observed in any treatment on the abundance of archaea or fungi, indicating that the presence of MP and/or HMs had no impact on their abundance. However, the MP+HM treatment resulted in a reduction in the number of bacteria. Using a two-factor statistical analysis, the effect of two concentrations (low and high) of microplastics and/or heavy metals on these soil parameters was further evaluated. &#13;
According to these results, the concentrations of added microplastics and/or heavy metals (low and high) had no significant effect (p &gt; 0.05) on any soil parameter except for soil pH (p &lt; 0.05). Overall, the results indicate that the presence of heavy metals, either alone or combined with microplastics, had a detrimental effect on soil ecosystem. However, this study was limited to examining the short-term effects of these pollutants on soil microorganisms and their functioning. Additional research will be necessary to determine the long-term effects of these pollutants.</abstract>
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    <enrichment key="opus.doi.autoCreate">false</enrichment>
    <enrichment key="opus.urn.autoCreate">true</enrichment>
    <licence>CC BY 4.0 International - Namensnennung</licence>
    <author>Nayan jyoti Gogoi</author>
    <collection role="institutes" number="">Fakultät Life Sciences</collection>
    <thesisPublisher>Hochschule Rhein-Waal</thesisPublisher>
    <thesisGrantor>Hochschule Rhein-Waal</thesisGrantor>
  </doc>
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