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PET-microplastics as a vector for heavy metals in a simulated plant rhizosphere zone
The Science of The Total Environment2020
249 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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Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Ravi Naidu,
Sajjad Abbasi
Philip K. Hopke,
Ravi Naidu,
Sajjad Abbasi
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman,
Farid Moore,
Philip K. Hopke,
Javad Karimi,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Javad Karimi,
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Farid Moore,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Behnam Keshavarzi,
Ravi Naidu,
Farid Moore,
Sajjad Abbasi
Ravi Naidu,
Philip K. Hopke,
Farid Moore,
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman,
Ravi Naidu,
Philip K. Hopke,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Ravi Naidu,
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Sajjad Abbasi
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Farid Moore,
Ravi Naidu,
Farid Moore,
Philip K. Hopke,
Farid Moore,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Farid Moore,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Farid Moore,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Farid Moore,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman,
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Ravi Naidu,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Ravi Naidu,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Sajjad Abbasi
Ravi Naidu,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Javad Karimi,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Patryk Oleszczuk,
Sajjad Abbasi
Sajjad Abbasi
Ravi Naidu,
Ravi Naidu,
Sajjad Abbasi
Summary
Researchers examined whether PET microplastics can transport adsorbed heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and zinc) to wheat roots in a simulated growing environment. They found that the microplastics adsorbed measurable amounts of all three metals and subsequently released them under conditions mimicking the root zone. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural soils may act as vectors that carry heavy metal contaminants to crop roots, potentially affecting food crop safety.
Although microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous contaminants in different ecosystems, their interactions with other pollutants including heavy metals remain relatively unknown. Wheat is an important grain that makes the basis of human food in many parts of the world. Thus, pollutants that affect its production are important subjects of study. This research focuses on the possible effects of the transport of the adsorbed heavy metals onto MPs to the roots of growing wheat. The adsorption of three heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Zn) onto PET particles was examined. Pb and Cd were selected because they are known to be toxic, while Zn is an essential nutrient for plants. Adsorption experiments were performed using 1 g of PET-MP particles in 20 ml of five different concentrations of each individual element (Pb, Cd, and Zn) (denoted as S-elements). To investigate the antagonistic and synergistic effects of these elements on each other, they were studied collectively with all 3 elements present (denoted as C-elements). Desorption experiments were then performed for three scenarios in which the wheat rhizosphere zone was simulated. Generally, the concentration of the investigated heavy metals adsorption on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) decreased in the order: S-Cd > S-Zn > S-Pb and C-Zn > T-Cd > C-Pb. PET particles exposed to Zn, Cd, and Pb solution adsorbed from 7.2 to 8.5%, 5.3 to 9.8%, and 29.8 to 68.5% of the initial heavy metals concentration, respectively. 11.3 to 15.2%, 12.5 to 23.35%, and 5.5 to 33.6% of the initially adsorbed Zn, Cd, and Pb were desorbed in the wheat rhizosphere zone in the three defined scenarios, respectively. The results show that PET particles can act as a vector in transferring heavy metals to the rhizosphere zone.