Issue 6, 2024

Potential effects of soil petroleum contamination on decomposition of Artemisia annua plant litter

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 Artemisia annua plants grown in soil with varying concentrations of petroleum (0, 15, 30, and 45 g kg−1) 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, A. annua litter produced in soil contaminated with 15 and 30 g kg−1 of petroleum exhibited significantly lower decomposition rates than that from uncontaminated soil.

Graphical abstract: Potential effects of soil petroleum contamination on decomposition of Artemisia annua plant litter

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 2月 2024
Accepted
08 5月 2024
First published
10 5月 2024

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024,26, 1022-1030

Potential effects of soil petroleum contamination on decomposition of Artemisia annua plant litter

J. Li, K. Liu, Y. Dong, L. Chen, Z. Wang, J. Chen and X. Zhang, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2024, 26, 1022 DOI: 10.1039/D4EM00096J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements