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Temperature fluctuation in soil alters the nanoplastic sensitivity in wheat
Summary
Researchers simulated +4°C soil warming combined with polystyrene nanoplastic exposure in wheat seedlings and found the combination induced greater oxidative stress and reduced plant height, fresh weight, and net photosynthesis compared to either stressor alone, highlighting compounding risks from simultaneous nanoplastic pollution and climate warming on crop production.
Despite the wide acknowledgment that plastic pollution and global warming have become serious agricultural concerns, their combined impact on crop growth remains poorly understood. Given the unabated megatrend, a simulated soil warming (SWT, +4 °C) microcosm experiment was carried out to provide a better understanding of the effects of temperature fluctuations on wheat seedlings exposed to nanoplastics (NPs, 1 g L 61.71 ± 0.31 nm polystyrene). It was documented that SWT induced oxidative stress in wheat seedlings grown in NPs-contaminated soil, with an 85.56 % increase in root activity, while decreasing plant height, fresh weight, and leaf area by 8.72 %, 47.68 %, and 15.04 % respectively. The SWT also resulted in reduced photosynthetic electron-transfer reaction and Calvin-Benson cycle in NPs-treated plants. Under NPs, SWT stimulated the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolism and bio-oxidation process. The decrease in photosynthesis and the increase in respiration resulted in an 11.94 % decrease in net photosynthetic rate (P). These results indicated the complicated interplay between climate change and nanoplastic pollution in crop growth and underscored the potential risk of nanoplastic pollution on crop production in the future climate.
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