We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Selecting emergent wetland plants for constructed wetlands under microplastic stress: Physiological performance and transcriptomic mechanisms
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers screened five emergent wetland plant species for resilience under polyethylene microplastic exposure, finding that yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) best maintained photosynthetic stability and antioxidant defenses, and that iris-planted constructed wetlands achieved over 90% nitrogen removal through coordinated physiological buffering and selective transcriptional reorganization rather than broad stress-gene activation.
Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as persistent contaminants in aquatic environments, posing potential risks to the stability of constructed wetlands (CWs). As wetland plants play a central role in pollutant removal and system resilience, understanding their adaptive responses to MP exposure is critical for the management of CWs. Five emergent wetland plant species were first screened under hydroponic conditions exposed to polyethylene MPs (0.1 mg ·L⁻¹). Among them, Iris pseudacorus exhibited the highest physiological stability, maintaining stable chlorophyll content (2.40 ± 0.09 mg·g⁻¹ FW), relatively stable net photosynthetic rates, elevated antioxidant enzyme activities, and low lipid peroxidation compared with other species. Subsequently, vertical-flow CW systems were operated for 120 days to compare planted (CW3) and unplanted (CW2) systems under MP exposure. CW3 achieved consistently high removal efficiencies of total nitrogen (91.5%), NH -N (up to 96.7%), and COD (80-90%), together with a peak total phosphorus removal of 88.0%. while NO₂⁻-N concentrations remained low (0.01-0.03 mg·L⁻¹), indicating complete nitrogen transformation. Although many representative genes involved in nitrogen assimilation, central carbon metabolism, antioxidant defence, and membrane lipid remodelling showed lower transcript abundance in CW3 than in CW1, these pathways remained significantly enriched, indicating selective pathway-level reorganization rather than broad transcriptional activation. In parallel, CW3 exhibited elevated dissolved organic carbon levels (62.65 mg C·L), suggesting enhanced rhizosphere carbon availability and compensatory metabolic adjustment under MP exposure. Together with the differential regulation of stress-responsive transcription factors (e.g., WRKY, NAC, and MYB), these responses indicate that functional stability in CW3 was maintained through integrated physiological buffering, rhizosphere carbon compensation, and selective transcriptional reorganization. Overall, this study demonstrates that appropriate emergent plant selection enables CWs to maintain treatment performance under MP stress through coordinated physiological resilience and pathway-level metabolic reorganization, providing practical guidance for the design of resilient constructed wetlands.
More Papers Like This
Trade-off of abiotic stress response in floating macrophytes as affected by nanoplastic enrichment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed water hyacinth plants to polystyrene nanoplastics at varying concentrations for 28 days. They found that while the plants removed 61-91% of nanoplastics from the water, the particles reduced plant biomass, impaired photosynthesis, and caused oxidative stress in roots and leaves. The study suggests that floating plants in constructed wetlands can help filter nanoplastics but experience significant physiological trade-offs in the process.
The effects of polypropylene microplastics on the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from water by Acorus calamus, Iris tectorum and functional microorganisms
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how polypropylene microplastics affect the ability of aquatic plants and their associated microorganisms to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water. They found that microplastic stress reduced the nutrient absorption capacity of the plants and altered the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may undermine the effectiveness of wetland-based water purification systems.
Removing Microplastics from Aquatic Environments with Iris 2 Pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analysed the effectiveness of Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps wetland plants in removing microplastics from aquatic environments, examining whether these macrophytes can accumulate and retain plastic particles and reduce adverse physiological effects on aquatic organisms.
Ecotype-specific responses of Typha domingensis to microplastics: Antioxidant defense and biochemical adaptations in wetland ecosystems
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied six natural varieties (ecotypes) of the wetland plant Typha domingensis growing in microplastic-contaminated wetlands and found significant differences in their ability to tolerate plastic pollution, with some ecotypes maintaining healthy growth and strong antioxidant defenses while others showed oxidative damage and stunted development.
Mechanistic insights into microplastic-mediated shifts in nitrogen metabolism and sensory quality across emergent and submerged-plant wetlands: Evidence from metagenomics and physiological indicators
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed surface-flow constructed wetlands planted with emergent and submerged macrophytes to polystyrene microplastics and found a 12.64% reduction in total nitrogen removal in the emergent plant system, driven by shifts in nitrogen-cycling microbial communities. PS-MPs also altered sensory water quality indicators, with effects varying by plant type.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.