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Oxidative Damage in Roots of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings Exposed to Microplastics or Combined with Cadmium
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Rice seedlings exposed to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium showed combined toxic effects on root growth, fresh and dry weight, and antioxidant enzyme activities, with combined exposure producing greater oxidative damage than either pollutant alone. The study highlights synergistic phytotoxicity in a staple crop relevant to food security in microplastic-contaminated paddy soils.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of 10-40 mg L polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), 0.05 mg L cadmium (Cd) and their combination on the growth and related physiological and toxicological responses in Oryza sativa L. seedling roots. Results showed that the fresh weight, dry weight and root lengths of treatments by PS-MPs, Cd single and combinative were all lower than the control, and opposite phenomenon appeared in production of superoxide radical (O), malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonylated protein. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and guaiacol peroxidase (POD) activities induced by 10-40 mg L PS-MPs and combination with Cd were almost higher than those by Cd alone, expression of heat shock protein (HSP)70 and carbonylated protein slightly decreased. In compound exposure, 10-20 mg L PS-MPs alleviated Cd damage and promoted root growth by increasing SOD and POD activities, but 40 mg L PS-MPs accelerated the accumulation of Cd, MDA, and O, which was responsible for decreasing root biomass and the aggravating necrosis of root tip cells.
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Polystyrene microplastics enhanced the toxicity of cadmium to rice seedlings: Evidence from rice growth, physiology, and element metabolism
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Polystyrene microplastics combined with cadmium -- a toxic heavy metal -- caused more damage to rice seedlings than either pollutant alone, reducing growth and disrupting the balance of essential nutrients. At higher concentrations, the microplastics significantly increased how much cadmium the plants absorbed into their above-ground parts. This matters for human health because rice is a staple food for billions of people, and microplastic-contaminated farmland could lead to higher heavy metal levels in the food supply.
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Researchers investigated the single and combined toxic effects of polypropylene microplastics and cadmium on rice plants, finding that co-exposure altered cadmium bioavailability and produced compounded negative effects on plant growth and development.
Combined Exposure to Polyethylene Microplastics and Copper Affects Growth and Antioxidant Responses in Rice Seedlings
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Researchers exposed rice seedlings to polyethylene microplastics and copper both individually and in combination and found that microplastics significantly enhanced copper uptake, increasing accumulation by about 25% compared to copper alone. While microplastics alone had minimal effects on growth, the combined exposure intensified oxidative stress in roots and altered antioxidant defense responses. The study demonstrates that microplastics can increase the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in agricultural crop systems.
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.
Phenotypic and Physiological Responses of Rice Seedlings to Co-Exposure of Polystyrene Microplastics and Heavy Metals
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Scientists found that microplastics in soil don't just add their own contamination risk to crops like rice, they can actually change how toxic heavy metals like lead and cadmium affect the plant, making cadmium's harm milder but making lead's harm worse. This matters because farmland is increasingly exposed to both microplastics and heavy metal pollution together, and this study suggests we can't predict crop safety by looking at these contaminants separately, their combined effects are more complex and need further research to understand how they might impact the food we eat.
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