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Joint toxicity of Cadmium (II) and microplastic leachates on wheat seed germination and seedling growth
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This study tested how chemical leachates from PVC and LDPE microplastics interact with cadmium contamination to affect wheat crops. While certain combinations mildly boosted seed germination, the combination of cadmium and PVC leachates increased oxidative stress in seedlings, suggesting that microplastics in contaminated farm soils could make heavy metal toxicity worse for food crops. PVC leachate was more harmful than LDPE, underscoring that plastic type matters when assessing agricultural risk.
Abstract Cadmium (Cd) and microplastics are widely distributed in soil and pose potential threats to agricultural production and human health. However, the joint toxicity of Cd and microplastics on crop growth remain largely unknown. In this study, the toxic effects of Cd2+ solution and two kinds of microplastic leachates, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), on wheat seeds germination and seedlings’ growth were explored under the single and combined conditions. The results showed that Cd2+ solution and two kinds of microplastic leachates stimulated wheat seeds germination process but inhibited the germination rate by 0–8.6%. The combined treatments promoted wheat seeds germination but inhibited the growth of wheat seedlings on different degree. In especial, the combination of 2.0 mg L-1 Cd2+ and 1.0 mgC L-1 PVC could promote both wheat seeds germination and seedlings’ growth, but they synergistically increased the antioxidant enzyme activity of seedlings. The physiological and biochemical indicators showed that the possible mechanism through which Cd2+ and microplastics leachates and their combination affected wheat seedlings involved oxidative stress. The toxicity of the PVC leachate to wheat seedlings was stronger than LDPE leachate. The addition of Cd2+ could alleviate the toxicity of PVC leachate on wheat seedlings, and reduce the toxicity of LDPE leachate on wheat seedlings under the same concentration class combinations but aggravated stress under different concentration class combinations, consistent with the effect on wheat seedlings’ growth. Overall, our study has important implications for the joint toxicity of Cd2+ solution and microplastic leachates in agriculture.
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Joint toxicity of cadmium (II) and microplastic leachates on wheat seed germination and seedling growth
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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.
Analyzing the impacts of cadmium alone and in co-existence with polypropylene microplastics on wheat growth
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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.
Ecotoxicological Impacts of Microplastics and Cadmium Pollution on Wheat Seedlings
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Researchers investigated the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on wheat seedlings and found that microplastics generally reduced the antioxidant enzyme response that cadmium alone would trigger. The study also found that microplastics altered cadmium bioaccumulation patterns, increasing cadmium uptake in roots at low concentrations but decreasing it at higher levels, suggesting complex interactions between these co-occurring pollutants.
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.
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Researchers found that polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics combined with cadmium reduced wheat chlorophyll concentrations and affected soil-plant systems differently depending on pollution levels, revealing complex interaction effects between co-contaminants.
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