Plastics – an unknown threat to agricultural carbon and nutrient cycles? A holistic approach

The 20th and 21st centuries are called the Plastic Age due to the omnipresence of plastics in daily life. Plastics are organic polymers of high molecular mass used for diverse applications in multiple sectors. Though believed that plastics are inert for the environment, micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are recently recognized as a potential threat. The proposed project will elucidate mechanisms of actions of MNPs on carbon and nutrient cycling at the level of the agricultural ecosystem. A holistic view of the project comes from considering the effect of MNPs on enzymatic reactions, soil processes, and plant-soil-microbial interactions. In-depth mechanistic understanding of the effect of MNPs on cycling of crucial elements for agriculture is the key determinant for the development of strategies aiming to mitigate negative effect of plastics for the environment.