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From Root Exudates to Eco-Corona: Mechanisms Shaping Nanoplastic Fate and Plant–Soil Interactions
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This research review summarizes how tiny plastic particles in farm soil interact with plant roots and the chemicals plants release into the soil. The study shows that these microscopic plastics can stress plants, change how their roots grow, and affect how plants absorb nutrients - which could impact the safety and quality of our food. Understanding these interactions is important because plastic pollution in agricultural soil is a growing problem that may affect the crops we eat.
Plastic contamination in agricultural soils constitutes an emerging threat to plant growth, nutrient acquisition, and food safety. Micro- and nanoplastics (NPs) elicit oxidative stress, perturb root morphology, and interfere with key physiological processes. Despite extensive studies in aquatic systems, the mechanistic understanding of NP behavior in soils, particularly the formation of soil-specific eco-coronas, remains limited. This review provides a mechanistic synthesis of current evidence on the role of root exudates, comprising proteins, amino acids, lipids, and low-molecular-weight metabolites, in modulating NP fate and plant responses within the rhizosphere. We delineate key processes, including exudate adsorption onto NP surfaces, eco-corona formation, aggregation, transport, root uptake, and species- and polymer-specific effects. Root exudation dynamically alters NP surface properties, mediates heteroaggregation, modulates mobility, and regulates interactions with plant roots. At the same time, NP exposure induces species-specific metabolic responses, including enhanced secretion of organic acids, stress-related metabolites, and secondary compounds (e.g., flavonoids). Despite extensive research in aquatic and hydroponic systems, mechanistic understanding of NPs behavior in soils, particularly regarding eco-corona formation and the modulatory role of root exudates, remains limited. This review synthesizes these insights to propose a conceptual framework linking eco-corona dynamics with root exudation processes, thereby providing a foundation for future soil-focused investigations.
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics in soil interact with plants, including uptake through roots, accumulation in plant tissues, and effects on growth, nutrient absorption, and soil microbial communities. The study highlights that these plastic particles can alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that affect crop development, raising concerns about food safety and agricultural productivity.
Micro (nano) plastic pollution: The ecological influence on soil-plant system and human health.
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil health, plant growth, and food quality, finding that these particles accumulate in plant root systems and can reduce crop yields and alter nutritional content. Since contaminated soil and water are increasingly delivering microplastics to food crops, these findings are directly relevant to agricultural food safety.
Micro and nanoplastic pollution in agricultural soils: effects on rhizosphere processes and phytotoxicity
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Tiny plastic particles are building up in farm soil, even more than in the ocean, and this review of existing research shows they can disrupt the delicate root zone where plants absorb nutrients and interact with helpful microbes. This disruption can stunt plant growth and potentially affect crop quality, meaning the food we eat could be another route by which plastic pollution reaches our bodies. More research is still needed to fully understand how these plastics harm plants, but the findings signal that fixing plastic waste management in farming is an urgent priority.
Behavior of Microplastics and Nanoplasticsin Farmland Soil Environment and Mechanismsof Interaction with Plants
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This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics behave in farmland soil and how they interact with crop plants. Nanoplastics are especially concerning because they can travel through plant roots and move via internal transport systems to reach leaves, fruits, and even seeds. The review highlights that microplastic-contaminated soil could lead to plastic particles entering the human food chain through the crops we eat, though more long-term studies are needed to fully understand the risks.
Microplastics and nanoplastics in the soil-plant nexus: Sources, uptake, and toxicity
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This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from plastic products and affect the soil-plant system. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be taken up by plant roots, cause oxidative stress, and negatively affect crop growth. The findings raise concerns about food safety since these particles may carry co-contaminants into the food chain.
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