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Microplastics with cadmium inhibit the growth of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara rather than reduce cadmium toxicity
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Vallisneria natans grown in sediment with PVC microplastics and cadmium showed that MPs reduced plant fresh weight at all Cd levels tested, and the combination of MPs and cadmium was more inhibitory than cadmium alone — suggesting MPs do not reduce Cd toxicity and may worsen it.
Microplastics and heavy metals are discharged into a freshwater environment either directly or via surface runoff and are largely deposited in sediments, posing risks to aquatic organisms. Few studies have thus far been devoted to the interaction of microplastics and heavy metals in sediments. Whether microplastics can affect the toxicity and accumulation of heavy metals in submerged macrophytes remains unclear. We evaluated the effects of polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVC-MPs) and cadmium (Cd) exposure levels (0, 5, 15, and 25 mg) on Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara grown in sediment in a microcosm experiment for 14 d. In this study, PVC-MPs decreased the fresh weights of V. natans in the absence of Cd and markedly reduced the fresh weights at 5 and 15 mg Cd exposure levels. Moreover, PVC-MPs substantially increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of V. natans leaves at a Cd exposure of 25 mg. However, the PVC-MPs neither reduced the Cd concentration nor independently increased the antioxidant enzyme activities of the plants. These findings indicate that microplastics can independently, or jointly with a Cd contaminant, inhibit the growth of submerged macrophytes rather than reduce Cd toxicity. To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the effects of microplastics and Cd exposure in sediments on the growth and physiological traits of submerged macrophytes, which could provide important implications for the interaction and future risk assessment of microplastics and heavy metals in sediments of freshwater ecosystems.
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Single and combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and Cd on submerged plants Ceratophyllum demersum L.
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Researchers studied the combined effects of nanoplastics and cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, on the aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum. They found that nanoplastics worsened cadmium's harmful effects on plant growth, photosynthesis, and cellular health, reducing growth rates by over 35%. The study suggests that when nanoplastics and heavy metals co-occur in water, their combined impact on aquatic plants may be more severe than either pollutant alone.
Combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on the soil-plant system: Phytotoxicity, Cd accumulation and microbial activity
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Researchers tested how different microplastic types combined with cadmium affect plant growth and soil health. Aged and biodegradable microplastics increased cadmium uptake in mustard greens more than fresh conventional plastics did. The study also found that microplastics altered soil microbial activity, suggesting that plastic pollution in farmland could change how plants absorb toxic metals from contaminated soil.
Synergism or Antagonism in Toxicity Induced by Co-Exposure to Polyamide Microplastics and Cadmium Is Dose-Dependent in the Submerged Macrophyte Vallisneria natans
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Scientists studying an aquatic plant found that when microplastics and cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) pollute water together, the combo can be either more harmful or less harmful than expected—it depends on how much cadmium is present. At low cadmium levels, microplastics made the toxic effects worse by making cadmium easier for plants to absorb, while at high cadmium levels, microplastics actually soaked up some of the cadmium and reduced harm. This matters because it shows pollution risks aren't simple math—two contaminants together can behave unpredictably, which is important for understanding water contamination and food-chain safety as micro
Toxicity and fate of cadmium in hydroponically cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) influenced by microplastics
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Researchers found that PVC microplastics changed how lettuce plants absorb the toxic heavy metal cadmium when both were present in the growing water. The microplastics initially absorbed cadmium from the water but then altered the plant's uptake patterns, affecting where the metal accumulated in roots versus leaves. This matters because microplastics in agricultural water could change how toxic metals end up in the edible parts of vegetables people eat.
Influence of cadmium and microplastics on physiological responses, ultrastructure and rhizosphere microbial community of duckweed
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Researchers studied the combined effects of cadmium and polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on duckweed, an aquatic plant. Interestingly, the study found that microplastics combined with cadmium actually reduced the heavy metal's toxicity to the plant compared to cadmium exposure alone, while also increasing the diversity of beneficial microbes in the root zone.
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