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Graphene-Inspired Films: Capturing Nanoplastics and Blocking Their Path to Crops
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Researchers developed graphene-inspired graphite-coated films that use electrical energy to capture nanoplastics and prevent them from entering crop roots. When powered at 9 volts, these films effectively captured nanoplastics present in soil and reduced their penetration into plant roots by more than 88%. The study suggests that combining these films with solar panels could offer an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach to protecting food crops from nanoplastic contamination.
In 2020, Italian researchers confirmed the presence of nanoplastics (NPs), smaller than microplastics (MPs), in apples and carrots, raising concerns about the accumulation of NPs in the human body through crop consumption. Given that many MPs carry electrical charges, this study aimed to develop an innovative solution to prevent the penetration of NPs into crops using electrical energy. To confirm whether NPs of styrene acrylonitrile resin used in this study undergo electrical migration, they were exposed to an electric field using copper plates, lead wires, or graphite rods as electrodes. NPs migrated toward the anode (+), and the copper plates and lead wires were transformed after supplying electricity, but not the graphite rods. Since graphite rods have a small surface area and vulnerability to physical damage, graphite powder was coated onto cellophane tape or agar films (CTcGP or AFcGP, respectively) to mimic the graphene structure. At 9 V, graphene-mimic (graphite-based) films effectively captured NPs present in soil and reduced the penetration of NPs into crop roots by more than 88%. Therefore, incorporating solar panels for power supply could enable environmentally friendly and cost-effective applications. This research demonstrates the practicality of an electrochemical solution to address agricultural and crop contamination caused by NPs.
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The power of green: Harnessing phytoremediation to combat micro/nanoplastics
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This review explores how plants and plant-based systems can be used to capture and remove micro- and nanoplastics from contaminated soil and water environments. Researchers found that certain plant species can absorb, trap, or break down plastic particles through their root systems and associated microorganisms. The study suggests that phytoremediation, or using plants to clean up pollution, could become a scalable and environmentally friendly strategy for tackling plastic contamination.
Micro/nanoplastics: a potential threat to crops
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This review examines micro- and nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soil and water, summarizing sources, adsorption onto microplastics, uptake pathways into crops, effects on plant growth and physiology, and current detection and removal approaches, while highlighting the limited data on nanoplastic transport in plants.
Foliar uptake and leaf-to-root translocation of nanoplastics with different coating charge in maize plants
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Researchers showed that nanoplastics can enter maize plants not just through roots but also through leaves, and then travel down to the roots through the plant's internal transport system. Positively charged nanoplastics stuck to leaf surfaces more readily but also caused more damage to photosynthesis and triggered stronger stress responses in the plants. This finding is important because it reveals an additional pathway for nanoplastic contamination of food crops through airborne particles landing on leaves.
Uptake and translocation of nanoplastics in mono and dicot vegetables
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Scientists exposed four different vegetable crops to fluorescent nanoplastics and tracked where the particles ended up in the plants. Nanoplastics were absorbed through the roots and transported to the stems and leaves of all plants tested, including tomatoes, radishes, and leafy greens. This confirms that food crops can take up nanoplastics from contaminated soil and deliver them to the parts of the plant that people eat.
Plastic and plants
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A study found a mechanism by which nanoplastics can enter plant roots, raising concerns about whether plastic particles in soil could accumulate in food crops. This highlights a potential pathway for nanoplastics to reach the food supply through agricultural uptake.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.