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Combined approaches for detecting polypropylene microplastics in crop plants
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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.
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