0
Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Remediation Sign in to save

Effectiveness and mechanism of plant purification of nutrients and perfluoroalkyl acids in simulated river water under microplastic stress

International Journal of Phytoremediation 2025 Score: 38 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Yixi Liu, Yili Wang, Guo-Hao Wang, Yucheng Wang, De-Tao Que, Yuanyuan Zhou

Summary

Researchers found that four aquatic plant species (Pontederia cordata, Canna indica, Myriophyllum verticillatum, and Vallisneria natans) effectively removed total nitrogen, total phosphorus, PFOA, and PFOS from simulated river water even under microplastic stress, revealing the mechanisms behind plant purification capacity.

Study Type Environmental

Pontederia cordata, Canna indica, Myriophyllum verticillatum, and Vallisneria natans were selected to investigate the effect and mechanism of plant removal of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) from simulated river water under microplastic stress through hydroponic experiments. The results showed that the four plants had good ability to remove TN, TP, PFOA, and PFOS from simulated river water under microplastic stress. The removal of TN, TP, PFOA, and PFOS by plants under microplastic stress ranged from 57.1% to 80.0%, 48.5% to 67.6%, 42.0% to 68.5%, and 48.0% to 85.3%, respectively. The best removal of TN and TP was achieved by P. cordata with 80.0% and 67.6%, respectively, while PFOA and PFOS were removed by P. cordata at a rate of 42.0% and 48.0%, respectively. M. verticillatum showed the most significant removal of PFOA and PFOS. The uptake of PFOS by plants was better than that of PFOA. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) tended to accumulate in plant roots more than PFOA in P. cordata and C. indica. Microplastic stress resulted in a decrease in plant removal of TN, TP, PFOA, and PFOS by 3.9%∼5.3%, 5.4%∼6.9%, 4.9%∼7.2%, and 2.7%∼7.2%, respectively.

Sign in to start a discussion.

More Papers Like This

Article Tier 2

The effects of polypropylene microplastics on the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from water by Acorus calamus, Iris tectorum and functional microorganisms

Researchers investigated how polypropylene microplastics affect the ability of aquatic plants and their associated microorganisms to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water. They found that microplastic stress reduced the nutrient absorption capacity of the plants and altered the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may undermine the effectiveness of wetland-based water purification systems.

Article Tier 2

Aquatic plants entrap different size of plastics in indoor flume experiments

Researchers found that aquatic plants effectively entrap plastics in riverine environments, with plant species and plastic particle size influencing retention rates, suggesting vegetation plays an important role in limiting downstream plastic transport.

Article Tier 2

Unraveling the toxic mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: A case study on Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum

Researchers exposed two submerged aquatic plant species (Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum) to PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations, finding that all three types significantly inhibited photosynthesis and growth and triggered oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic type and plant species.

Article Tier 2

Transport dynamics of microplastics within aquatic vegetation featuring realistic plant morphology

Researchers investigated how aquatic vegetation with realistic plant structures affects the transport and trapping of microplastics in river environments. They found that floating plant canopies significantly altered water flow and increased microplastic retention, with smaller nanoscale particles being trapped more effectively than larger ones. The study suggests that aquatic vegetation may act as a natural filter, accumulating microplastics and potentially preventing their transport downstream to oceans.

Article Tier 2

Tracing and trapping micro- and nanoplastics: Untapped mitigation potential of aquatic plants?

Researchers used fluorescently labeled polystyrene particles to trace microplastic and nanoplastic uptake in three aquatic plant species, finding that nanoplastics concentrated primarily in roots via apoplastic transport with bioconcentration factors up to 306, suggesting floating plants like water hyacinth may be useful for removing plastic from contaminated water.

Share this paper