Polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics reduce chemisorption of cadmium in paddy soil and increase its bioaccessibility and bioavailability.

Microplastics (MPs) usually coexist with heavy metals (HMs) in soil. MPs can influence HMs mobility and bioavailability, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, polyethylene and polypropylene MPs were selected to investigate their effects and mechanisms of sorption-desorption, bioaccessibility and bioavailability of cadmium (Cd) in paddy soil.