Phytotoxic effects and rhizosphere microecological responses of peanut to oxytetracycline and microplastic co-exposure

Summary

When peanuts grow in soil contaminated with both an antibiotic (oxytetracycline) and microplastics, the combination stresses the plants and disrupts the helpful bacteria living around their roots more than either pollutant alone. This matters because farm soils increasingly contain both types of pollution from things like manure and plastic waste, and understanding how they harm crops together — not just separately — is key to protecting our food supply and figuring out what ends up on our plates.