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Leaf absorption contributes to accumulation of microplastics in plants
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Researchers found that plant leaves can absorb tiny plastic particles directly from the air, not just through the roots. Leafy vegetables grown outdoors in polluted areas contained measurable amounts of common plastics like PET and polystyrene. This means airborne microplastics may be entering our food supply through the plants we eat.
Plant absorption is important for the entry of many pollutants into food chains. Although terrestrial microplastics (MPs) can be absorbed by the roots, their upward translocation is slow. Meanwhile, atmospheric MPs are widely present, but strong evidence on their direct absorption by plants is still lacking. Here, analyses using mass spectrometry detection show the widespread occurrence of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) polymers and oligomers in plant leaves, and identify that their levels increase with atmospheric concentrations and the leaf growth duration. The concentrations of PET and PS polymers can reach up to 10 ng per g dry weight in leaves at the high-pollution areas studied, such as the Dacron factory and a landfill site, and 10-10 ng per g dry weight of PET and PS can be detected in the open-air-grown leafy vegetables. Nano-sized PET and PS particles in the leaves were visually detected by hyperspectral imaging and atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy. Absorption of the proactively exposed non-labelled, fluorescently labelled or europium-labelled plastic particles by maize (Zea mays L.) leaves through stomatal pathways, as well as their translocation to the vascular tissue through the apoplastic pathway, and accumulation in trichomes was identified using hyperspectral imaging, confocal microscopy and laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our results demonstrate that the absorption and accumulation of atmospheric MPs by plant leaves occur widely in the environment, and this should not be neglected when assessing the exposure of humans and other organisms to environmental MPs.
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Airborne microplastics in leaves and food safety risks
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Researchers highlighted evidence that airborne microplastics can be absorbed through plant leaves, representing a significant but underappreciated route of plastic contamination in terrestrial food systems. The study underscores the need for urgent action to reduce plastic emissions and re-evaluate agricultural and food safety frameworks.
Leafy Vegetable Assimilation of Atmospheric Microplastics/Nanoplastics: An Overlooked Source in Human Food?
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This research highlights that leafy vegetables like lettuce can absorb microplastics and nanoplastics directly from the air through their leaves, not just from contaminated soil or water. This atmospheric pathway has been largely overlooked as a source of microplastic contamination in food crops. The finding suggests that people may be consuming more microplastics through salads and leafy greens than previously estimated.
Airborne microplastics in leaves and food safety risks
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Researchers provided evidence that airborne microplastics are deposited on and taken up by plant leaves, highlighting an important and underappreciated pathway of terrestrial plastic pollution and raising food safety concerns about the accumulation of airborne MPs on edible vegetation.
Nanoplastics are taken up by lettuce and barley under realistic soil condition
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can be absorbed by lettuce and barley plants when grown in soil, even at low pollution levels similar to what's found in the environment. The plastic particles accumulated in the parts of the plants that people eat, showing a new way these pollutants could enter our food supply. While the amounts were small, this research reveals that nanoplastics from pollution can travel from soil into our crops, which could eventually affect human health.
Absorption of microplastics by terrestrial plants and their ecological risk
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This review describes how microplastics enter terrestrial plants through both root systems in soil and leaf surfaces from airborne particles, and how they accumulate within plant tissues. Researchers discuss the direct physical damage from the plastic particles as well as the toxicity of chemical additives like plasticizers and UV stabilizers. The findings raise concerns about food safety, since microplastics absorbed by crop plants could enter human diets through the food chain.
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