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Adsorption of polyethylene microbeads and physiological effects on hydroponic maize
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Researchers evaluated the adsorption, potential uptake, and physiological effects of polyethylene microbeads on hydroponically grown maize plants using carbon isotope analysis. The study estimated that about 30% of the microplastic particles adhered to root surfaces, and exposure affected plant physiology, providing evidence that crop plants can interact with and be affected by microplastic contamination.
About 90% of the plastic garbage remains in terrestrial ecosystems, and increasing evidence highlights the exposure of crops to plastic particles. However, the potential bioaccumulation of microplastics by plants and their effects on plants' physiology remains unexplored. Here, we evaluated the adsorption, potential uptake, and physiological effects of polyethylene (PE) microbeads in an experimental hydroponic culture of maize. Using isotope analysis, taking advantage of the different carbon isotope composition (δC) of fossil-derived PE and C plants (e.g., maize), we estimated that about 30% of the carbon in the rhizosphere of microplastic-exposed plants was derived from PE. Still, we did not find evidence of PE translocation to the shoots. Plastic bioaccumulation in the rhizosphere caused a significant decline in transpiration, nitrogen content, and growth. Our results indicate that plastic particles may accumulate in the rhizosphere, impairing water and nutrient uptake, and eventually reaching root eaters. Due to the implications for food production and livestock feeding, our findings encourage further research on the mechanism leading to the bioaccumulation of microplastics on the surface of belowground tissues.
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Potential Toxicity of Microplastics in Wheat and Maize—A Pilot Pot Experiment
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In a pot experiment, wheat and maize plants absorbed tiny polyethylene plastic particles into their roots, stems, and leaves after 50 days. Growth rates slowed in maize with both particle sizes and in wheat with larger particles, while maize showed increased photosynthetic pigment levels and wheat showed decreased levels.
Accumulation of plastics in terrestrial crop plants and its impact on the plant growth
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This review examines how small plastic particles accumulate in crop plants and affect plant growth, finding that microplastics can enter plant tissues and disrupt physiological processes. Crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil could carry plastic particles into the food supply, raising concerns about dietary exposure.
Adsorption, uptake and toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics: Effects on terrestrial plants and aquatic macrophytes
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This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics interact with terrestrial plants and aquatic macrophytes, finding that many species can absorb or take up plastic particles. Both short-term and long-term plastic exposure triggered stress responses in plants, and since plants are at the base of food chains and a major part of the human diet, there is concern about plastics moving up through the food web. The findings suggest that plastic pollution could potentially affect plant productivity and broader ecosystem function.
Uptake and accumulation of microplastics in a cereal plant wheat
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Wheat plants grown in sand containing fluorescent polystyrene microbeads were able to take up and translocate 0.2-micrometer particles from roots to shoots, visualized using confocal microscopy. The study confirms that crop plants can accumulate microplastics from growing media and transport them to aerial tissues, raising concerns about food chain contamination.
A new quantitative insight: Interaction of polyethylene microplastics with soil - microbiome - crop
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Researchers developed a new method to track and measure how polyethylene microplastics move through soil and into crops, and for the first time demonstrated that micron-sized particles can accumulate in plant tissues, with the highest concentrations found in roots. Weathered microplastics significantly reduced soil nutrients and inhibited plant growth in maize, while fresh microplastics had different effects on soil chemistry. The findings suggest that aging microplastics in agricultural soil may pose a greater risk to crop productivity than previously understood.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.