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Leachates from waste milk plastics and their impacts on terrestrial crop plants
Summary
Researchers tested whether leachates from common plastic milk pouches (low-density polyethylene) could harm crop plants, simulating exposure from landfill contamination of agricultural soils. Leachates produced by UV light or boiling water — conditions that mimic environmental degradation — caused significant reductions in seed germination, plant growth, and biochemical health markers, and also damaged root cells. The results demonstrate that plastic packaging waste can release toxic compounds into soil that directly impair food crops.
Abstract Accumulation of waste plastics from municipal and industrial sources into landfills and landfills leachates are the reservoir of microplastics and other toxic substances. Present work demonstrated the leachates production from commercial soft milk packet (LDPE) under various simulated conditions (cold water, boiling water, exposure of UV-A, B, and C and sun irradiation) and leachate characterization was performed by physico-chemical analysis and FTIR study. The phyto-toxicity of the synthesized leachates were evaluated with respect to germination, morphophysiology and biochemical analysis and cytotoxicity study was performed with Allium cepa root tip assay. The results revealed that the treatment with either 50% (T2) or 100% (T3) leachates has adverse impact on germination. However, it has also adverse impact on morpho-physiology including root and shoot length and both fresh and dry weight of root and shoot. On the other hand, leachates has negative impacts on chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids. Root ion leakage also adversely affected with leachate prepared from boiling condition and exposer of UV-B. Both enzyme content and superoxide radical were also affected under different simulated leachate. The cytotoxic effect of various leachate on Allium cepa root tip revealed that a dose dependent decrease (p < 0.05) of MI under all leachate treatments as compared to control along with highest chromosomal abnormality index (CAI) was recorded for all leachate treatments. Finally, it may be concluded that LDPE plastic leachate has adverse effects on growth and development of Cicer arietinum L. However, in order get more insight, further extensive long-term study is needed and leachate can apply for other main agricultural crops such as rice, potato etc. for better understanding its food-chain contamination pattern.