Mechanism of matrix-bound phosphine production in response to atmospheric elevated CO2 in paddy soils

Highlights: • We first proposed the pathways of MBP formation with elevated [CO₂]. • The generation of MBP is enhanced with elevated [CO₂], but not significant. • MBP preservation may have been converted from FeP and CaP, related with SCO₂. • FeP transformation affected by SCO₂ and TOC was the main MBP precursor. • CaP transformation resulted from the HCO₃⁻ variation was the secondary MBP source. To explore the effect of elevated CO₂ concentrations ([CO₂]) on phosphine formation in paddy fields, the matrix-bound phosphine (MBP) content, different phosphorus fractions and various carbon forms in soil samples from rice cultivation under varying CO₂ concentrations of 400 ppm, 550 ppm and 700 ppm by indoor simulation experiment were determined. This study showed that MBP concentration did not increase significantly with elevated [CO₂] over four-week cultivation periods of rice seedlings, regardless of soil layers. MBP had a significant positive correlation with total phosphorus (TP) and inorganic phosphorus (IP), and multiple stepwise linear regression analysis further indicated that MBP preservation in neutral paddy soils with depths of 0–20 cm may have been due to conversion from FeP and CaP. Based on redundancy analysis and forward selection analysis, speculated that the formation of MBP in the neutral paddy soils as the response to atmospheric elevated [CO₂] was due to two processes: (i) FeP transformation affected by the changes of soil respiration (SCO₂) and TOC was the main precursor for the production of MBP; and (ii) CaP transformation resulting from variation in HCO₃⁻ was the secondary MBP source. The complex combination of these two processes is simultaneously controlled by SCO₂. In a word, the soil environment in the condition of elevated [CO₂] was in favor of MBP storage in neutral paddy soils. The results of our study imply that atmospheric CO₂ participates in and has a certain impact on the global biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus.