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Evidence for the transportation of aggregated microplastics in the symplast pathway of oilseed rape roots and their impact on plant growth
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Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics are absorbed by oilseed rape roots not as individual particles but as clumps, and they travel through the plant's living cell network into the root vascular system. The microplastics caused oxidative stress that affected photosynthesis and plant growth, though the plants activated defense mechanisms to partially cope. This study shows how microplastics can enter food crops through the roots, potentially introducing plastic particles into the food supply.
As an emerging contaminant, microplastics are absorbed by crops, causing diverse impacts on plants. Plants may have different physiological responses to different uptake modes of microplastics various stage of growth. In this study, the distribution of polystyrene (PS) microspheres in the roots of oilseed rape and the physiological responses at different growth stages were investigated by confocal laser scanning microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and biochemical analysis. This study, conducted via scanning electron microscopy, discovered that agglomerates of microspheres, rather than individual plastic pellets, were taken up by plant roots in solution for the first time. The agglomerates subsequently migrate into the vascular bundles of the root system. Moreover, this study provided the proof for the first time that PS is transported in plants via the symplast system. On the physiological and biochemical function, the exposure of PS at the flowering and bolting stages caused oxidative stress on oilseed rape. That is, the addition of PS with different particle sizes significantly increased peroxidase (POD), malondialdehyde (MDA), photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content and inhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD) content in oilseed rape at different developmental stages. These changes regulated the chloroplast structure and chlorophyll synthesis, maintained a high photosynthetic rate, and mitigated the toxicity of PS. In addition, correlation analysis showed that MDA and citric acid contents were significantly positively correlated with chlorophyll contents (p < 0.05), which suggested that the 80 nm PS treatment stimulated organic acid secretion in oilseed rape at the bolting stage to maintain a higher chlorophyll content. This study expands the current understanding of the effects of microplastics on crop growth, and the results holding significant implications for exploring the impact of microplastics on vegetables during various developmental stages and for future risk assessment.
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This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics enter plants through roots, disrupt growth and photosynthesis, and cause oxidative stress that reduces crop yields. Because these plastic particles can move through plant tissues and into edible parts, they represent a potential pathway for microplastics to enter the human food supply.
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Tiny plastic particles from broken-down waste are building up in soil and getting absorbed by plants through their roots and leaves, according to this review of existing research. Once inside, these particles can stunt seed sprouting, weaken root growth, and interfere with photosynthesis (how plants make energy from sunlight), which matters because these are the same crops we eat. Since the plastic can travel from soil into plant tissue, this raises questions about how much may be passing into our food supply and, ultimately, into us.
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Tomato plants grown with polystyrene microplastics absorbed the particles through their roots and moved them into stems and leaves, with smaller particles and higher amounts building up more. Exposure reduced root growth, plant height and weight, increased oxidative stress markers, and altered gene activity and chemical processes linked to plant hormones and cell membranes.
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