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Influence of soil microplastic contamination and cadmium toxicity on the growth, physiology, and root growth traits of Triticum aestivum L.
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Researchers grew wheat plants in soil contaminated with polyethylene microplastics, the toxic heavy metal cadmium, or both, finding that combined exposure caused the worst damage — shrinking root area, reducing gas exchange in leaves, and lowering key growth indicators. These findings raise concerns about crop yields in farmland where plastic pollution and heavy metal contamination overlap, which is increasingly common.
Cadmium toxicity in the soil severely threatens many native ecosystems, including plant communities. Microplastic (MP) accumulation in agricultural ecosystems constitutes a problem due to the fact that it stresses crops as well as lowers their production. On the other hand, it has yet to be apparent how MP pollution and Cd toxicity affect crops. In this instance, wheat plants subjected to polyethylene MP contamination, Cd toxicity, and a combined treatment were used in a greenhouse setting to assess above- and below-ground crop features related to stress responses utilizing root scan and leaf gas exchange studies. Changes in root characteristics, a decrease in leaf gas exchange, and phenological indices were among the consequences that were noticed. Regarding below- and above-ground features, MP pollution was the treatment that had the fewest negative effects, whereas cadmium toxicity along with soil MP contamination had the worst effects. Additionally, Cd toxicity and interaction treatment lowered root area and width, while MP pollution enhanced all belowground variables. Combined treatment with MPs and Cd toxicity reduced phenological indices, leaf gas exchange, and belowground root traits compared to control. These insights raise concerns regarding potential yield, economic losses, and consequences of a possible transport into the food web.
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Researchers tested how cadmium and polypropylene microplastics individually and together affect wheat seedling growth, and found that their combined presence intensified negative effects on germination and early development. Cadmium alone inhibited root and shoot growth, and microplastics amplified this damage while also altering antioxidant enzyme activity in the plants. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of heavy metals and microplastics in agricultural soil may create compounding stress on crop health.
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Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics combined with cadmium co-pollution impaired wheat germination, reduced plant growth, and disrupted soil microbial communities more severely than either contaminant alone, demonstrating synergistic toxicity in an agriculturally important crop.
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Researchers investigated how cadmium and chemical compounds that leach from microplastics jointly affect wheat seed germination and seedling growth. They found that microplastic leachates from PVC and polyethylene can interact with cadmium in complex ways, sometimes worsening and sometimes lessening the toxic effects on young wheat plants. The study suggests that the combined presence of heavy metals and microplastics in agricultural soils could pose risks to crop development.
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Researchers investigated how heat stress combined with polyethylene microplastic contamination in soil affects wheat and maize growth. They found that the combination significantly reduced plant height, root length, leaf area, and chlorophyll content more than either stressor alone. The findings highlight that microplastic pollution in agricultural soils could worsen the damage already caused by rising temperatures to food crops.
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