Polylactic acid microplastics, Biochar, Cadmium pollution, Rhizosphere metabolite, Microorganisms, Environmental sciences, GE1-350, Agriculture

Abstract The impact of microplastics on the remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil by biochar is still unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of combining different biochars with polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics on the growth of Chinese cabbage, rhizosphere soil metabolomics, bacterial community structure, and Cd accumulation in Cd-contaminated soil. Compared with the treatment with biochar alone, the addition of PLA suppressed plant growth, but also reduced Cd accumulation in Chinese cabbage by 8–42%; the treatment with sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBC)–PLA showed the most prominent effect. Compared with the treatment with SBC alone, SBC–PLA reduced Cd accumulation in roots and aboveground parts by 47 and 22%, respectively (p