【Objective】 This study employed one-year-old Ginkgo biloba seedlings as experimental materials to investigate the effects of various concentrations of 7.5 μm polyethylene (PE) microplastics (MPs) and different exposure durations on photosynthetic characteristics and antioxidant system, aiming to elucidate the physiological response patterns of Ginkgo biloba under microplastic stress, and to provide a basis for assessing ecological risks of MPs in woody plants. 【Method】 A pot experiment was conducted with polyethylene microplastics at concentrations of 0 (CK), 10 (MP-10), 100 (MP-100), and 1000 (MP-1000) mg/kg, with a treatment duration of 60 days; photosynthetic parameters and antioxidant characteristics were measured and compared. 【Result】 MPs exposure clearly inhibited photosynthesis in Ginkgo biloba, and the effect became more pronounced with increasing concentration and longer exposure time. After 60 days, under MP-1000 treatment, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate decreased by 64.6%, 75%, and 80.8%, respectively, while intercellular CO2 concentration increased by 25.5%, indicating that the limitation to photosynthesis shifted from stomatal to non-stomatal factors. Chlorophyll content showed a continuous decline, and the SPAD value under high concentration decreased by 44% compared with the control at 60 days. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis showed that Fv/Fm and φPSII decreased significantly, while Fo increased under high microplastic treatment, suggesting damage to the reaction centers. Meanwhile, microplastic stress markedly activated the antioxidant system; at 60 days under MP-1000 treatment, SOD activity reached twice that of the control, CAT activity increased to six times, POD activity reached 1.72 times, and MDA content, increased by 6.67 times, indicating enhanced membrane lipid peroxidation. 【Conclusion】 MPs stress inhibits photosynthesis and triggers antioxidant responses in Ginkgo biloba; under higher concentrations and longer exposure, the limitation of photosynthesis shifts from stomatal to non-stomatal factors, accompanied by aggravated membrane lipid peroxidation and damage to the photosynthetic system, ultimately affecting normal growth.
Key words
Ginkgo biloba /
microplastics /
photosynthetic /
antioxidant system
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