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Effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics and acid rain on physiology and growth of Lepidium sativum
Environmental Pollution2021
95 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 55
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Sara Pignattelli,
Sara Pignattelli,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Sara Pignattelli,
Sara Pignattelli,
Sara Pignattelli,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Manuela Piccardo,
Monia Renzi,
Manuela Piccardo,
Andrea Broccoli,
Andrea Broccoli,
Andrea Broccoli,
Monia Renzi,
Manuela Piccardo,
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Sara Pignattelli,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Sara Pignattelli,
Sara Pignattelli,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Manuela Piccardo,
Andrea Broccoli,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Manuela Piccardo,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Sara Pignattelli,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Andrea Broccoli,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Sara Pignattelli,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Sara Pignattelli,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Sara Pignattelli,
Sara Pignattelli,
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Antonio Terlizzi
Summary
Researchers studied the combined effects of PET microplastics and acid rain on garden cress plants over 30 days. They found that both stressors negatively affected plant growth, triggered oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthetic pigment production, with smaller microplastic particles causing the most harm. The combination of microplastics and acid rain produced compounding negative effects on plant physiology, suggesting these co-occurring environmental stressors may together threaten plant health.
This study evaluated the chronic toxicity (30 days) of different sizes of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics (60-3000 μm) provided alone or in combination with acid rain, on garden cress (Lepidium sativum). Both biometrical and physiological traits have been evaluated: i) percentage inhibition of seed germination, plant height, leaf number and fresh biomass production; ii) oxidative stress responses (hydrogen peroxide; ascorbic acid and glutathione production); iii) impairment in photosynthetic machinery in term of pigments production; iv) aminolevulinic acid and proline production. Results highlighted that different sizes of PET, alone or in combination with acid rain, are able to negatively affect both biometrical and physiological plant traits. In particular, the lower size of microplastics is able to negatively affect growth and development, as well as to trigger the oxidative burst. Regarding the pigments production, PET coupled with acid rain, induced a higher production of Chl-b, and an inhibition of aminolevulinic acid.