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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.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and pose widespread exposure risks to terrestrial plants. Recent studies have revealed that MPs in soil can migrate into plants via root systems, while atmospheric MPs can infiltrate plants through leaves. Plants are a primary component of food chains. Plant uptake and accumulation of MPs greatly determine their ecological and health risk. This review systematically introduces entry pathways of MPs into plants via roots and leaves, and their transport, distribution, and accumulation within plant tissues. The phytotoxicity of MPs, including both the direct physical damage induced by polymer particles, and the toxicity induced by additives such as plasticizers, antioxidants, and UV stabilizers, are discussed. Accordingly, the potential implications of MPs pollution for food security and risks of MPs transmission through food chains were analyzed. Furthermore, phytotoxicity risks mediated by MPs-induced alterations in microbial community structures were elucidated. Finally, the key unresolved questions in the research on plant uptake of MPs are summarized and promising future research directions are proposed.
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From Soil to Table: Pathways, Influencing Factors, and Human Health Risks of Micro- and Nanoplastic Uptake by Plants in Terrestrial Ecosystems
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This review traces the pathways by which micro- and nanoplastics move from soil into food crops in terrestrial ecosystems. Researchers found that plants absorb these particles through roots and atmospheric deposition, with adverse effects on plant growth and development, raising concerns about food chain contamination and human health risks from consuming affected crops.
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This review examines how small plastic particles accumulate in crop plants and affect plant growth, finding that microplastics can enter plant tissues and disrupt physiological processes. Crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil could carry plastic particles into the food supply, raising concerns about dietary exposure.
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