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Effects of charged polystyrene microplastics on the bioavailability of dufulin in tomato plant
Summary
Researchers studied how differently charged polystyrene microplastics affect the uptake of a pesticide called Dufulin in hydroponic tomato plants. They found that all types of microplastics reduced plant growth and decreased the amount of pesticide absorbed by the tomatoes, with negatively charged particles having the strongest effect. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural systems may alter how pesticides accumulate in food crops.
Microplastics (MPs) and pesticides commonly exist in the environment, yet the interactions between them and their subsequent impacts on plants remain poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impacts of differently charged polystyrene (PS) MPs, including PS-COO, PS and PS-NH MPs, on the fate of C-labelled new antiviral pesticide Dufulin (DFL) in a hydroponic tomato system. The results showed that MPs greatly reduced the growth of tomato plants, with suppression of 18.4-30.2%. Compared to the control group, PS-COO, PS and PS-NH MPs also reduced the bioaccumulation of DFL in whole tomato plants by 40.3%, 34.5%, and 26.1%, respectively. Furthermore, MPs influenced the translocation of DFL in plant tissues, and the values decreased at the rates of 38.7%, 26.5% and 15.7% for PS-COO, PS and PS-NH, respectively. Interestingly, compared to the control group, PS-COO exhibited a profound inhibitory effect on DFL concentrations in tomatoes, potentially resulting in a lower dietary risk in the hydroponic tomato system. This may be due to the strong adsorption between PS-COO and DFL, and PS-COO may also inhibit the growth of tomato plants. Overall, our study could provide valuable insights into the risk assessment of DFL in the presence of MPs in plant systems.