We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Combined approaches for detecting polypropylene microplastics in crop plants
Summary
Researchers developed a combined approach using chemical digestion and Nile red staining to detect polypropylene microplastics accumulated in maize and wheat plants. The study found that after 75 days of exposure, microplastic particles accumulated primarily in wheat roots and maize stems, with maize plants depositing more and larger particles overall, demonstrating that crop plants can take up and accumulate label-free microplastic particles from soil.
Microplastics (MPs) pollution in the terrestrial environment causes accumulation in crop plants. Consumption of these plants may have negative effects on human health. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze MPs accumulation in the plants. The aim of this study is to determine polypropylene (PP) particles in plants exposed to label-free PP for 75 days. In order to extract PP from organic matter, a two-step alkaline and wet peroxide oxidation chemical digestion method was applied to the roots, stems, and leaves of maize and wheat. The PP particles in the digested solutions were detected by the Nile red staining method, which has not been used previously in the detection of MPs in plants. Nile red stained PP particles mostly accumulated in the roots of wheat and the stems of maize plants. Statistical analysis revealed that the maize deposited more and larger PP particles regardless of the location. Moreover, the presence of PP particles in the digestion solutions was proved by the heating method. The PP particles on the glass slides were transformed into different shapes due to melting.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
A new quantitative insight: Interaction of polyethylene microplastics with soil - microbiome - crop
Researchers developed a new method to track and measure how polyethylene microplastics move through soil and into crops, and for the first time demonstrated that micron-sized particles can accumulate in plant tissues, with the highest concentrations found in roots. Weathered microplastics significantly reduced soil nutrients and inhibited plant growth in maize, while fresh microplastics had different effects on soil chemistry. The findings suggest that aging microplastics in agricultural soil may pose a greater risk to crop productivity than previously understood.
Uptake and accumulation of microplastics in a cereal plant wheat
Wheat plants grown in sand containing fluorescent polystyrene microbeads were able to take up and translocate 0.2-micrometer particles from roots to shoots, visualized using confocal microscopy. The study confirms that crop plants can accumulate microplastics from growing media and transport them to aerial tissues, raising concerns about food chain contamination.
The review of nanoplastics in plants: Detection, analysis, uptake, migration and risk
This review examines how nanoplastics are detected, analyzed, taken up by plants, and migrate through plant tissues from roots to edible parts. As nanoplastics are found in agricultural soils, understanding how they enter food crops is critical for assessing human dietary exposure.
Visual tracking of label-free microplastics in wheat seedlings and their effects on crop growth and physiology
Researchers used advanced microscopy to visually track label-free polystyrene microplastics as they moved through wheat seedlings from roots to shoots via the plant's water-transport system. At lower concentrations, the microplastics actually increased water uptake in roots, but at higher concentrations they significantly reduced chlorophyll and carotenoid levels. The study provides direct visual evidence that crop plants can absorb and transport microplastics, with potential consequences for plant health and food safety.
Micro/nanoplastics: a potential threat to crops
This review examines micro- and nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soil and water, summarizing sources, adsorption onto microplastics, uptake pathways into crops, effects on plant growth and physiology, and current detection and removal approaches, while highlighting the limited data on nanoplastic transport in plants.