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Responses of cherry radish to different types of microplastics in the presence of oxytetracycline
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Researchers investigated the individual and combined effects of the antibiotic oxytetracycline and three types of microplastics on cherry radish growth. The study found that PVC microplastics significantly inhibited plant growth, reducing root fresh weight by 81%, while oxytetracycline actually alleviated some of PVC's adverse effects, demonstrating that contaminant interactions can produce unexpected outcomes in crops.
Croplands have become a hotspot for antibiotic and microplastic (MP) pollution. However, little is known regarding their combined effects on crops. In this study, the individual and combined effects of oxytetracycline (OTC) and three MPs (i.e., polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), and polyvinylchloride (PVC)) on cherry radish were investigated using pot experiments. Individually, OTC (50 mg kg), PA (2%, w/w), and PP (2%, w/w) induced negligible effects on cherry radish biomass and the root/shoot ratio. However, PVC (2%, w/w) significantly inhibited cherry radish growth; that is, its shoot and root fresh weight decreased by 46.2% and 81.1%, respectively. In the combined exposure groups, OTC alleviated the adverse effects of PVC on the cherry radish leaf number and shoot fresh weight. This was linked to that OTC increased the content of photosynthetic pigments. Superoxide dismutase activity in cherry radish roots was inhibited to different extents in all treatment groups except for the PA and PVC treatments. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content in cherry radish roots increased in all treatment groups, suggesting that both OTC and MPs caused oxidative damage to cherry radish root cells, therefore inhibiting cherry radish root growth. However, the presence of OTC non-significantly changed the effects of MPs on cherry radish roots. Irrespective of OTC presence, MPs induced a reduction in the root/shoot ratio of cherry radish, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of MPs on cherry radish roots was stronger than that on shoots. These findings contribute to the evaluation of the phytotoxicity of antibiotics and MPs in soil-vegetable systems.
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Individual and combined effects of microplastics and oxytetracycline on cherry radish
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Researchers conducted pot experiments to assess individual and combined effects of oxytetracycline and three microplastic types (polypropylene, polyamide, and polyvinylchloride) on cherry radish growth, finding that polyvinylchloride alone most severely inhibited biomass -- reducing shoot and root fresh weight by 46.2% and 81.1% respectively -- while combined exposures produced more complex and sometimes synergistic effects.
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Researchers examined how the antibiotic oxytetracycline combined with polyethylene microplastics affects wheat seedling growth and soil microbial communities. They found that high concentrations of the antibiotic combined with microplastics significantly reduced seedling growth and altered the bacterial communities around the roots. The study reveals that the co-presence of antibiotics and microplastics in agricultural soils may create compounding negative effects on crop health.
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This study tested how microplastics and the antibiotic oxytetracycline, both common contaminants in farmland soil, affect pak choi (a leafy vegetable). Both types of microplastics harmed root growth, photosynthesis, and plant metabolism, and surprisingly, biodegradable PLA microplastics caused more damage than conventional polyethylene ones. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could reduce crop quality and nutritional value, with so-called eco-friendly plastics potentially being worse for plants.
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When peanuts grow in soil contaminated with both an antibiotic (oxytetracycline) and microplastics, the combination stresses the plants and disrupts the helpful bacteria living around their roots more than either pollutant alone. This matters because farm soils increasingly contain both types of pollution from things like manure and plastic waste, and understanding how they harm crops together — not just separately — is key to protecting our food supply and figuring out what ends up on our plates.
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