Article
?
AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button.
Tier 2
?
Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Environmental Sources
Human Health Effects
Nanoplastics
Sign in to save
Comparing the impact of microplastics derived from a biodegradable and a conventional plastic mulch on plant performance
The Science of The Total Environment2024
38 citations
?
Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 65
?
0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Thijs Bosker,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Laura J. Zantis,
Thijs Bosker,
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Laura J. Zantis,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Laura J. Zantis,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Martina G. Vijver,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Martina G. Vijver,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Laura J. Zantis,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sylwia Adamczyk,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Laura J. Zantis,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Martina G. Vijver,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Laura J. Zantis,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Laura J. Zantis,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Laura J. Zantis,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Thijs Bosker,
Thijs Bosker,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Bartosz Adamczyk,
Thijs Bosker,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Thijs Bosker,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg,
Martina G. Vijver,
Martina G. Vijver,
Laura J. Zantis,
Sannakajsa Velmala
Summary
Researchers directly compared how microplastics from biodegradable and conventional plastic mulch films affect plant growth and found that biodegradable plastic particles actually reduced plant biomass more than conventional plastic particles in some cases. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for agriculture, since their breakdown products may still harm crops that end up in the human food supply.
Agricultural lands have been identified as plastic sinks. One source is plastic mulches, which are a source of micro- and nano-sized plastics in agricultural soils. Because of their persistence, there is now a push towards developing biodegradable plastics, which are designed to undergo (partial) breakdown after entering the environment. Yet, limited research has investigated the impacts of both conventional and biodegradable plastics on distinct plants. Moreover, comparisons among studies are difficult due to differences in experimental design. This study directly compares the effects of artificially weathered conventional polyethylene (PE) and starch-based biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) on four food crops, including two monocots (barley, Hordeum vulgare, and wheat, Triticum aestivum L.) and two dicots (carrot, Daucus carota, and lettuce, Lactuca sativa L.). We investigated the effects of environmentally relevant low, medium, and high (0.01 %, 0.1 %, 1 % w/w) concentrations of PE and starch-PBAT blend on seed germination (acute toxicity), and subsequently on plant growth and chlorophyll through a pot-plant experiment (chronic toxicity). Germination of all species was not affected by both plastics. However, root length was reduced for lettuce and wheat seedlings. No other effects were recorded on monocots. We observed a reduction in shoot length and bud wet weight of carrot seedlings for the highest concentration of PE and starch-PBAT blend. Chronic exposure resulted in a significant decrease in shoot biomass of barley and lettuce. Additionally, a positive increase in the number of leaves of lettuce was observed for both plastics. Chlorophyll content was increased in lettuce when exposed to PE and starch-PBAT blend. Overall, adverse effects in dicots were more abundant than in monocots. Importantly, we found that the biodegradable plastic caused more commonly adverse effects on plants compared to conventional plastic, which was confirmed by a mini-review of studies directly comparing the impact of conventional and biodegradable microplastics.