Stimulation versus inhibition: The effect of microplastics on pak choi growth

Impact of Microplastics on Plant Growth

Single and combined effects of secondary polyethylene microplastic on the growth of Pak choi and the soil microbiome composition

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Researchers found that secondary polyethylene microplastics (aged via weathering and mechanical stress) significantly inhibited Pak choi growth, caused oxidative damage to plant cells, and altered soil microbial composition, while showing antagonistic combined effects with DDT and naphthalene due to MP adsorption of co-contaminants. Agriculturally realistic aged PE microplastics harm food crops and disrupt the soil microbiome, with soil chemical properties changing in ways that could affect long-term agricultural productivity.

Exploring the Impacts of HDPE Microplastics on Growth and Physiological Behavior of Brassica juncea (Mustard Plant)

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Researchers demonstrated that HDPE microplastics reduce chlorophyll, phenolic, and proline content in mustard plants (Brassica juncea) and showed — for the first time — that microplastics translocate from roots to leaves via fluorescence and confocal microscopy. This evidence of root-to-shoot microplastic transfer in a food crop raises direct concerns about human dietary exposure through consuming contaminated vegetables grown in plastically polluted agricultural soils.

Effects of Microplastic on the Growth and Nutrient Absorption of Microalgae

Uptake of Microplastics and Their Effects on Plants

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Researchers reviewed accumulating evidence on microplastic uptake by terrestrial plants, finding that particles smaller than 200 nm can enter root cells and translocate to shoots, potentially disrupting photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and growth while opening a pathway for microplastics to enter the human food chain through crops.