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From single to combined stressors: Nanoplastic-ciprofloxacin synergy amplifies oxidative damage and metabolic dysregulation in Glycine max seedlings
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When soybean seedlings were exposed to both nanoplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together, the combined stress was significantly worse than either pollutant alone, stunting growth and disrupting key metabolic processes in the leaves. The nanoplastics reduced root growth and plant size, while the antibiotic primarily damaged leaf function, and together they overwhelmed the plants' antioxidant defenses. This matters for food safety because soybeans are a major crop, and agricultural environments increasingly contain both nanoplastics and antibiotic residues.
Researchers have tried hard to study the toxic effects of single pollutants like certain antibiotics and nanoplastic particles on plants. But we still know little about how these pollutants interact when they're together in the environment, and what combined toxic effects they have on plants. This study assessed the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), both individually and in combination, on soybean (Glycine max L.) seedlings by various concentration gradients treatments of PS-NPs (0, 10, 100 mg/L) and CIP (0, 10 mg/L). The results indicated that high concentrations of PS-NPs significantly impeded soybean seedling growth, as evidenced by reductions in root length, plant height, and leaf area. CIP predominantly affected the physiological functions of leaves, resulting in a decrease in chlorophyll content. The combined exposure demonstrated synergistic effects, further intensifying the adverse impacts on the growth and physiological functions of soybean seedlings. Metabolomic analyses indicated that single and combined exposures markedly altered the metabolite expression profiles in soybean leaves, particularly related to amino acid and antioxidant defense metabolic pathways. These results indicate the comprehensive effects of NPs with antibiotics on plants and provide novel insights into toxic mechanisms.
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Combined effects of microplastics and organic pollutants on crops: a meta-analysis
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Tiny plastic particles in soil don't just harm crops on their own, when combined with things like antibiotics or pesticides, they can shrink plant growth and cause crops to soak up nearly twice as much antibiotic residue in their edible parts. Since this study used lab experiments with higher-than-typical pollutant levels over short time periods, more real-world research is needed, but the findings raise a flag: microplastic pollution in farm soil could be making other chemical contaminants in our food worse, not just adding a separate problem.
Integrated physiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic responses of maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) to nanoplastic-induced stress
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Researchers exposed maize and soybean crops to polyethylene and polypropylene nanoplastics in soil and found that high concentrations suppressed plant growth and caused oxidative stress in both species. The nanoplastics accumulated in plant roots and disrupted normal gene activity and metabolism, with soybeans being more sensitive than maize. These findings raise concerns about food crop quality and safety as nanoplastic contamination of agricultural soil increases.
Combined contamination of microplastic and antibiotic alters the composition of microbial community and metabolism in wheat and maize rhizosphere soil
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A study found that when soil is contaminated with both microplastics and antibiotics together, the damage to wheat and maize seedlings is worse than from either contaminant alone, with increased root oxidative stress and disrupted soil bacterial communities. This combined contamination, common in agricultural soils treated with plastic mulch and livestock manure, could affect crop health and food quality.
Microplastics and Dechlorane Plus co-exposure amplifies their impacts on soybean plant
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Researchers examined how microplastics and Dechlorane Plus, a recently banned flame retardant, affect soybean plants when present together in soil. They found that combined exposure caused greater harm than either pollutant alone, altering antioxidant enzyme activity and inhibiting plant growth. The study reveals that the interaction between microplastics and persistent organic pollutants in agricultural soils may amplify risks to crop production and food safety.
[Effects of Combined Stress of Polyethylene and Sulfamethazine on Seed Germination, Seedling Growth, and Physiological Characteristics of Soybean].
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A pot experiment found that low concentrations of polyethylene (PE) microplastics partially promoted soybean seed germination and growth, while high concentrations inhibited plant development, and that the antibiotic sulfamethazine caused dose-dependent inhibition that was partially alleviated by low-level PE co-exposure. These combined effects reveal complex interactions between microplastic and pharmaceutical contaminants in agricultural soils that affect crop productivity.
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