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PET Microparticles Has Severe Toxic Effects to Arabidopsis thaliana in Hydroponic Cultivation
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Researchers exposed Arabidopsis thaliana, peas, and maize to PET microparticles in hydroponic cultivation, finding that bacteria-sized PET particles caused severe toxic effects on plant growth, providing evidence that microplastic contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural crops even in the absence of soil or soil microbiota interactions.
Plastic microparticles and nanoparticles are growing invisible threat. Estimates speak of a threefold amount of plastics in the year 2050 compared to today. The effect of these particles on aquatic organisms is relatively well mapped, but their effect on plants remains still poorly understood Plants are the key part of entire human population diet. Microplastics and nanoplastics are known to bind and concentrate harmful chemicals from the environment (POP, toxins, pesticides, PCB etc.), They increase stress too and especially in plants, they bind to the surface of root fibers It is estimated that there is such plastic pollution in European agriculture soil as in the North Pacific gyrus In this study, we have analyzed the effect of bacteria-sized particles on Arabidopsis thaliana, peas (Pisum sativum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) in hydroponic cultivation which eliminates the influence of soil and soil microbiota.
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Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana & Phaseolus vulgaris and their soil
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Researchers exposed the plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Phaseolus vulgaris to polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations and found effects on plant growth and soil microbial communities. The study contributes to a limited but growing body of evidence on how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils may affect crop plants and soil health.
Toxic effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on plants: A global meta-analysis
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This meta-analysis of 101 studies found that micro- and nanoplastics negatively affect plant physiology, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) showing the strongest impact on fresh weight, chlorophyll, and reactive oxygen species. Microplastics inhibited most growth and photosynthetic indicators more strongly than nanoplastics, and exposure consistently triggered increased biochemical stress enzyme activity.
Effect of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics on radish and carrot growth, nutrient uptake, and physiological stress responses
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Researchers exposed radish and carrot seedlings to PET microplastics (0.1 g/L) for one week and measured growth, nutrient uptake, and stress markers. While plant biomass was unaffected, chlorophyll levels dropped and oxidative stress indicators rose significantly, showing physiological harm even without visible growth effects.
Environmental levels of microplastics disrupt growth and stress pathways in edible crops via species-specific mechanisms
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Researchers studied how environmentally realistic levels of microplastics affect the growth and stress responses of edible crops. The study found that microplastics disrupt plant growth and stress pathways through mechanisms that vary by crop species. These findings highlight the importance of understanding how different plants interact with microplastic particles when assessing risks to agricultural food production.
The effect of microplastic contaminated compost on the growth of rice seedlings
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Researchers found that adding PET microplastics to compost significantly harmed rice seedling growth, reducing root length by 38%, plant height by 25%, and chlorophyll content by up to 55%. The microplastics appeared to interfere with nutrient uptake and photosynthesis. This is concerning because compost used in agriculture is often contaminated with plastic waste, which could reduce crop yields and potentially affect food quality.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.