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Mechanism of microplastics in the reduction of cadmium toxicity in tomato

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2025 15 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 68 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Yilan Cui, Rongchao Yang, Rongchao Yang, Rongchao Yang, Rongchao Yang, Yilan Cui, Rongchao Yang, Rongchao Yang, Rongchao Yang, Yueqin Zhang, Long Cheng, Yueqin Zhang Yilan Cui, Yilan Cui, Long Cheng, Zihan Li, Yilan Cui, Yilan Cui, Yilan Cui, Long Cheng, Jiawei Liu, Jiugeng Chen, Rongchao Yang, Yilan Cui, Yilan Cui, Yueqin Zhang Duo Xu, Yilan Cui, Yilan Cui, Jiugeng Chen, Yueqin Zhang Sijia Liu, Yueqin Zhang, Rongchao Yang, Yueqin Zhang Rongchao Yang, Yueqin Zhang Yueqin Zhang, Yueqin Zhang Lin Zhong, Yueqin Zhang Yueqin Zhang, Yueqin Zhang, Jiugeng Chen, Jiugeng Chen, Yueqin Zhang Yueqin Zhang, Yueqin Zhang Yueqin Zhang, Yueqin Zhang, Yueqin Zhang Yueqin Zhang Yueqin Zhang, Yueqin Zhang, Yueqin Zhang

Summary

In a surprising finding, researchers discovered that microplastics in soil actually reduced the toxicity of cadmium (a dangerous heavy metal) to tomato plants. The microplastics lowered the plants' uptake of harmful heavy metals while helping restore absorption of essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium. While this does not make microplastics beneficial, it reveals complex interactions between different soil pollutants that affect food crops.

Polymers

PE PP PVC

Soil pollution by microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd) poses significant threats to agricultural production, yet their combined toxicity and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of three types of MPs-polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP)-with particle sizes of 150 μm and 10 μm, in combination with Cd stress (5 mg/kg) on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) growth. The results revealed that the combined treatment of MPs effectively alleviated the inhibitory effect of Cd stress. Moreover, Ionome analysis demonstrated that the combined treatment alleviated ionic toxicity by reducing the accumulation of heavy metals (e.g., Al, Pb, Cd, Cr), restoring the uptake of essential elements (e.g., Mg, Ca, Mn), and minimizing the excessive absorption of trace elements (e.g., Mo, Ni) and ultra-trace elements (e.g., Co, Ag, Sn) compared to Cd stress alone. Transcriptome analysis further revealed that combined treatment reprogrammed key pathways, including cell wall synthesis, antioxidant systems, Cd transport, hormone signaling, nitrogen metabolism, and glutathione metabolism, to alleviate Cd toxicity. This study provides novel insights into the interaction between MPs and environmental pollutants, highlighting their role in modulating plant stress responses.

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