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Microplastic inclusion in birch tree roots

The Science of The Total Environment 2021 61 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 45 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Joana MacLean, Joana MacLean, Franz Hölker Kat Austen, Kat Austen, Joana MacLean, Joana MacLean, Kat Austen, Franz Hölker Daniel Balanzategui, Daniel Balanzategui, Franz Hölker Franz Hölker Joana MacLean, Joana MacLean, Joana MacLean, Joana MacLean, Franz Hölker

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.

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