Potential Impact and Mechanism of Aged Polyethylene Microplastics on Nitrogen Assimilation of Lactuca Sativa L

Effects of Microplastic on the Growth and Nutrient Absorption of Microalgae

Potential impact and mechanism of aged polyethylene microplastics on nitrogen assimilation of Lactuca sativa L.

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Researchers investigated how aged polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect nitrogen uptake and metabolism in romaine lettuce. They found that aged microplastics, especially smaller particles, accumulated in the plants and disrupted nitrogen assimilation processes. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may affect crop nutrition and quality by interfering with how plants absorb and process essential nutrients.

Uptake of Microplastics and Their Effects on Plants

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Researchers reviewed accumulating evidence on microplastic uptake by terrestrial plants, finding that particles smaller than 200 nm can enter root cells and translocate to shoots, potentially disrupting photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and growth while opening a pathway for microplastics to enter the human food chain through crops.

Exploring the Impacts of HDPE Microplastics on Growth and Physiological Behavior of Brassica juncea (Mustard Plant)

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Researchers demonstrated that HDPE microplastics reduce chlorophyll, phenolic, and proline content in mustard plants (Brassica juncea) and showed — for the first time — that microplastics translocate from roots to leaves via fluorescence and confocal microscopy. This evidence of root-to-shoot microplastic transfer in a food crop raises direct concerns about human dietary exposure through consuming contaminated vegetables grown in plastically polluted agricultural soils.

The Effect of N Mineralization, Nitrification and Ammonification Rates in Soils Contaminated with Microplastics

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Researchers found that polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET microplastics all disrupt soil nitrogen cycling, with polypropylene having the most harmful effect — reducing the availability of nitrogen that plants need to grow, raising concerns about long-term agricultural soil health in contaminated areas.