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Microplastic inclusion in birch tree roots
Summary
Fluorescently tagged microplastic beads introduced to soil around silver birch saplings were detected inside root tissues after five months using confocal microscopy, providing the first evidence that microplastics can be physically incorporated into woody plant root tissues.
In this pilot study, microplastic beads (5-50 μm) were tagged with fluorescent dye and introduced to the soil of potted Betula pendula Roth. (silver birch) saplings during the growing season. After five months, root samples were examined using fluorescence- and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This paper presents the first documented indication of the incorporation of microplastic into root tissues of woody plants and discusses the phytoremediation potential of birch in soil with microplastic contamination.