Effects of Different Microplastics on Wheat’s (Triticum aestivum L.) Growth Characteristics and Rhizosphere Soil Environment

In order to reveal the effects of microplastics (MPs) on the growth and rhizosphere soil environmental effects of wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.), three microplastic types (polypropylene MPs (PP-MPs), high-density polyethylene MPs (HDPE-MPs), and polylactic acid MPs (PLA-MPs)), particle sizes (150, 1000, and 4000 μm), and concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1 g·kg^-1) were selected for a pot experiment under natural environment conditions. The differences in germination rate (<i>GR</i>), germination inhibition rate (<i>GIR</i>), growth characteristics, physicochemical properties, and enzymatic activities of wheat in rhizosphere soil were analyzed using statistical analysis and variance analysis. The results show that the germination rate of wheat seeds decreased under different MPs, and the HDPE-MPs, medium particle size (1000 μm), and medium concentration (0.5 g·kg^-1) had the greatest inhibitory effect on wheat seed germination. The effects of MPs on wheat seed growth characteristics were inconsistent; the germination potential (<i>GP</i>), germination index (<i>GI</i>), and vitality index (<i>VI</i>) showed a significant decreasing trend under the PLA-MPs and medium-concentration (0.5 g·kg^-1) treatment, while the mean germination time (<i>MGT</i>) showed a significant increasing trend; the <i>GP</i> and <i>MGT</i> showed a significant decreasing and increasing trend under the high-particle-size (4000 μm) treatment, respectively, while the <i>GI</i> and <i>VI</i> showed a significant decreasing trend under the medium-particle-size (1000 μm) treatment. The growth characteristics of wheat plants showed a significant decreasing trend under different MPs, with the SPAD, nitrogen concentration of the leaves, and plant height decreasing the most under PLA-MP treatment, the SPAD and nitrogen concentration of leaves decreasing the most under low-particle-size (150 μm) and low-concentration (0.1 g·kg^-1) treatments, and the decreases in plant height under the high-particle-size (4000 μm) and high-concentration (1 g·kg^-1) treatments being the largest. There were significant increasing trends for ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺), total phosphorus (TP), soil urease (S-UE), soil acid phosphatase (S-ACP), and soil sucrase (S-SC) under different microplastics, while the PLA-MPs had a significant increasing trend for nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^-) and a significant decreasing trend for pH; there was a significant decreasing trend for total nitrogen (TN) under the HDPE-MPs and PLA-MPs, and for each particle size and concentration, the PLA-MPs and low-concentration (0.1 g·kg^-1) treatments showed a significant decreasing trend for soil catalase (S-CAT). The research results could provide certain data and theoretical bases for evaluating the effects of MPs on crop growth and soil ecological environments.