We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Uptake mechanism, translocation, and transformation of organophosphate esters in water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes): A hydroponic study
Summary
Researchers traced three organophosphate flame retardants through water hyacinth in hydroponic experiments and found that hydrophilicity governs uptake route and translocation speed — with the most water-soluble compound moving rapidly through the plant via cell sap while the most hydrophobic was largely retained in root cell walls.
Owing to their dominant wastewater origin, bioavailability, and toxicity, the occurrence and behavior of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in aquatic systems have attracted considerable attention over the past two decades. Aquatic plants can accumulate and metabolize OPEs in water, thereby playing an important role in their behavior and fate in waterbodies. However, their uptake, translocation and transformation mechanisms in plants remain incompletely characterized. We investigated the accumulation and transformation of OPEs in water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) through a series of hydroponic experiments using three representative OPEs, tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), and triphenyl phosphate (TPP). These OPEs can not only be adsorbed onto and enter plant roots via passive diffusion pathways, which are facilitated by anion channels and/or aquaporins, but also can return to the solution when concentration gradients exist. After entry, hydrophilic TCEP showed a dominant distribution in the cell sap, strong acropetal transportability, and rapid translocation rate, whereas hydrophobic TPP was mostly retained in the root cell wall and therefore demonstrated weak acropetal transportability; TBEP with moderate hydrophilicity remained in the middle. All these OPEs can be transformed into diesters, which presented higher proportions in the cell sap and therefore have stronger acropetal transferability than their parent OPEs. TCEP exhibits the lowest biodegradability, followed by TPP and TBEP. These OPEs exerted apparent effects on plant growth, photosynthesis, and the diversity and composition of the rhizosphere microbial community.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Insight into the absorption and migration of polystyrene nanoplastics in Eichhornia crassipes and related photosynthetic responses
Researchers studied how water hyacinth plants absorb and transport polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes. Smaller nanoplastics (20 nm) penetrated deeper into root tissue and migrated to leaves, while larger ones (200 nm) mostly stayed in the roots. Both sizes impaired photosynthesis, suggesting that nanoplastic pollution in waterways can harm aquatic plants that play important roles in water purification.
Tracing and trapping micro- and nanoplastics: Untapped mitigation potential of aquatic plants?
Researchers used fluorescently labeled polystyrene particles to trace microplastic and nanoplastic uptake in three aquatic plant species, finding that nanoplastics concentrated primarily in roots via apoplastic transport with bioconcentration factors up to 306, suggesting floating plants like water hyacinth may be useful for removing plastic from contaminated water.
Uptake and transport of micro/nanoplastics in terrestrial plants: Detection, mechanisms, and influencing factors
This review summarizes how micro and nanoplastics enter and move through plants, including uptake through roots and leaves via processes like endocytosis and movement through cell walls. Smaller particles penetrate more easily, and factors like surface charge and soil conditions affect how much plastic plants absorb. The findings are important because they show that crops can take up microplastics from contaminated soil, creating a potential pathway for these particles to reach the human diet.
Translocation of polystyrene nanoplastics in distinct plant species: Novel insight from a split-root system and transcriptomic analysis
Researchers used a split-root system to study how polystyrene nanoplastics move through cucumber and maize plants, finding that the particles travel from roots to shoots via xylem and redistribute back to roots via phloem. Cucumber roots accumulated more nanoplastics than maize, while maize showed greater redistribution from shoots back to roots. The study revealed that aquaporin proteins play a key role in regulating nanoplastic uptake and transport in plants.
Phytoremediation of microplastics by water hyacinth
Researchers found that water hyacinth, a fast-growing floating plant, can remove 55-69% of microplastics from contaminated water within 48 hours through root adsorption. The plant's massive root surface area traps plastic particles, while a special structure in the stem prevents the plastics from reaching the leaves. This study offers a promising natural, low-cost approach to cleaning microplastics from waterways.