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Uptake of microplastics and impacts on plant traits of savoy cabbage
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Researchers found that savoy cabbage plants can absorb polystyrene microplastic particles as small as 0.5 micrometers directly into their cells. Different types and sizes of plastic particles affected plant growth and leaf chemistry in distinct ways, including changes to certain amino acid and defense compound levels. This is concerning because it demonstrates a direct pathway for microplastics to enter the human diet through vegetables.
Anthropogenic influences such as plastic pollution are causing serious environmental problems. While effects of microplastics on marine organisms are well studied, less is known about effects of plastic particles on terrestrial organisms such as plants. We investigated the effects of microplastic particles on different growth and metabolic traits of savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda). Sections of seedlings exposed to polystyrene particles were analysed by coherent Raman scattering microscopy. These analyses revealed an uptake of particles in a size range of 0.5 µm to 2.0 µm into cells of the hypocotyl. Furthermore, plants were grown in substrate amended with polyethylene and polystyrene particles of different sizes (s: 200-500 µm; s: 100-200 µm; s: 20-100 µm; s: < 100 µm, with most particles < 20 µm; s: < 20 µm) and in different concentrations (c = 0.1%, c = 0.01%, c = 0.001%). After several weeks, shoot and root biomass were harvested. Leaves were analysed for their carbon to nitrogen ratio, while amino acid and glucosinolate composition were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Plastic type, particle size and concentration showed distinct effects on certain plant traits. Shoot biomass was interactively influenced by size and concentration of polyethylene, while root biomass was not modified by any of the plastic exposure treatments. Likewise, the composition and total concentrations of leaf amino acids were not affected, but the leucine concentration was significantly increased in several of the plastic-exposed plants. Glucosinolates were also slightly altered, depending on the particle size. Some of the observed effects may be independent of plastic uptake, as larger particles were not taken up but still could affect plant traits. For example, in the rhizosphere plastic particles may increase the water holding capacity of the soil, impacting some of the plant traits. In summary, this study shows how important the plastic type, particle size and concentration are for the uptake of microplastics and their effects on plant traits, which may have important implications for crops, but also for ecosystems.
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Internalization, physiological responses and molecular mechanisms of lettuce to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes: Validation of simulated soilless culture
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This study found that lettuce plants absorb polystyrene microplastics through their roots and transport them to their leaves, with smaller particles (100 nanometers) moving more easily than larger ones. Both sizes reduced plant growth by roughly 38-48% and triggered stress responses including changes in gene expression. These findings raise food safety concerns since microplastics in soil can accumulate in leafy vegetables that people eat.
Metabolic response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics after foliar exposure
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Researchers exposed lettuce plants to polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics through their leaves and found that the particles altered the plant's metabolism differently depending on particle size. This foliar exposure pathway means that microplastics and nanoplastics settling on leafy vegetables from the air can change the plant's internal chemistry. Since lettuce is widely consumed raw, these metabolic changes raise questions about how microplastic-contaminated produce might affect nutritional quality and human health.
Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica F.) Effectively Absorbs and Accumulates Microplastics at the Micron Level—A Study of the Co-Exposure to Microplastics with Varying Particle Sizes
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Researchers discovered that water spinach plants can absorb and accumulate micron-sized polystyrene microplastics in their leaves when the particles are taken up through the roots. The plastic particles traveled from roots through the plant's transport system to accumulate in leaf tissue, and high concentrations stunted plant growth. This finding is directly concerning for food safety because it shows that leafy vegetables people eat can contain microplastics absorbed from contaminated soil or water.
Leaf absorption contributes to accumulation of microplastics in plants
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Researchers found that plant leaves can absorb tiny plastic particles directly from the air, not just through the roots. Leafy vegetables grown outdoors in polluted areas contained measurable amounts of common plastics like PET and polystyrene. This means airborne microplastics may be entering our food supply through the plants we eat.
Temporal and SizeDependent Uptake of Micro- and NanoPlastics in an Edible Plant
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Scientists grew basil plants in water containing tiny plastic particles (micro- and nanoplastics) to see if the plants would absorb them, and they did, with plastics building up in the roots and, in smaller amounts, moving up into the leaves people might eat. The smallest plastic particles were absorbed and moved through the plant most easily, and the plastics also appeared to carry along other chemicals from the water, hinting that produce grown in plastic-contaminated water or soil could be a route for these particles and hitchhiking chemicals to enter our food.
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