Abstract
Plastic film mulching is widely practiced in arid and semiarid farming systems, but the accumulation of plastic residues in soils can negatively affect soil properties. Therefore, efficient means of plastic film degradation are urgently needed to mitigate its unfriendly environmental impacts for sustainable land use. Here, we characterized the effects of tensile stress (TS) and soil burial (SB) on potential degradation properties of three film types: Polyethylene film (PEF), oxo-biodegradable film (OBDF), and biodegradable film (BDF). Weight loss, mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, functional groups, and crystallinity were recorded after TS and SB treatments. The results indicated that: (1) Weight loss of plastic films was associated with SB, although the extent of weight loss depended on film type and was highest in BDF, (2) application of TS before SB weakened the mechanical properties of the films and increased their hydrophilicity, creating favorable conditions for the settlement of microorganisms on the film surface, (3) PEF treated with TS and SB had higher functional group indices and lower crystallinity. Our results highlighted that the combination of TS and SB has the potential to accelerate plastic film degradation.
Highlights
Plastic film mulching (PFM) is an important agricultural practice in arid and semiarid farming systems [1]
Εtb of tensile stress (TS) and soil burial (SB)-treated Polyethylene film (PEF) and oxo-biodegradable film (OBDF) was reduced by 57–81% relative to the initial values, whereas that of no tensile stress (nTS) and SB films was reduced by only 15–52%
In biodegradable film (BDF), εtb decreased rapidly to levels far below 50% εtb, and its final values were not substantially altered by TS
Summary
Plastic film mulching (PFM) is an important agricultural practice in arid and semiarid farming systems [1]. It increases food production and security by providing multiple benefits, including weed control [2,3,4], increased soil temperature [5], and reduced soil water evaporation [6]. Long-term use of plastic film is not conducive to the sustainable development of land. Attempts to effectively remove or degrade plastic residues in soil have been hampered by practical difficulties and high costs [8]. Effective measures of plastic film degradation are needed to mitigate its unfriendly environmental impacts for sustainable land use
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