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Natural Aging Intensifies Microplastic Phytotoxicity in <i>Brassica chinensis</i>

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2025 4 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 58 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Ruiying Shi, Ruiying Shi, Nouman Ali, Nouman Ali, Ruiying Shi, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Yuexing Zhao, Aurang Zeb, Yuexing Zhao, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Yuexing Zhao, Nouman Ali, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Nouman Ali, Yuexing Zhao, Ruiying Shi, Yuexing Zhao, Yuexing Zhao, Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Ruiying Shi, Aurang Zeb, Yuexing Zhao, Ruiying Shi, Ruiying Shi, Yuexing Zhao, Nouman Ali, Ruiying Shi, Yuexing Zhao, Yuexing Zhao, Nouman Ali, Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Nouman Ali, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Nouman Ali, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Ruiying Shi, Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Jinzheng Liu, Jinzheng Liu, Jinzheng Liu, Nouman Ali, Jinzheng Liu, Jinzheng Liu, Jinzheng Liu, Ruiying Shi, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Aurang Zeb, Yuexing Zhao, Aurang Zeb, Weitao Liu Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Jinzheng Liu, Weitao Liu Sheharyar Khan, Sheharyar Khan, Ruiying Shi, Weitao Liu Yuexing Zhao, Jinzheng Liu, Weitao Liu Abdul Mannan Baig, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Jinzheng Liu, Weitao Liu Sheharyar Khan, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Abdul Mannan Baig, Jinzheng Liu, Ruiying Shi, Jinzheng Liu, Aurang Zeb, Sheharyar Khan, Ruiying Shi, Sheharyar Khan, Jinzheng Liu, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Jinzheng Liu, Ruiying Shi, Jinzheng Liu, Ruiying Shi, Weitao Liu Ruiying Shi, Weitao Liu Jinzheng Liu, Jinzheng Liu, Ruiying Shi, Aurang Zeb, Aurang Zeb, Ruiying Shi, Yuexing Zhao, Abdul Mannan Baig, Jinzheng Liu, Weitao Liu Yuexing Zhao, Yuexing Zhao, Weitao Liu Yuexing Zhao, Ruiying Shi, Weitao Liu Weitao Liu Jinzheng Liu, Yuexing Zhao, Jinzheng Liu, Jinzheng Liu, Weitao Liu Nouman Ali, Nouman Ali, Jinzheng Liu, Nouman Ali, Jinzheng Liu, Weitao Liu Nouman Ali, Jinzheng Liu, Weitao Liu Weitao Liu

Summary

Researchers compared the effects of pristine and naturally aged polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics on Chinese cabbage growth and soil health over a 45-day experiment. They found that aged microplastics with oxidized surfaces caused significantly more plant damage, reducing biomass and chlorophyll content more than their pristine counterparts. The study suggests that as microplastics weather in agricultural soils, they may become increasingly harmful to crops.

Polymers

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as stressors in agricultural soils, yet the consequences of aging remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the effects of pristine and aged polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) MPs on <i>Brassica chinensis</i> and soil function in a 45-day pot experiment. MPs were artificially aged by photo-oxidation and incubation before application at 0.1 and 1% (w/w). Compared with pristine MPs, aged MPs with oxidized surfaces induced stronger toxicity, reducing plant height (-24.1%) and biomass (-34.3%), lowering chlorophyll content, and elevating oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)). Metabolomic analysis indicated disruptions in carbohydrate, amino acid, and energy metabolism. In parallel, soil phosphatase and amylase activities as well as total nitrogen were significantly suppressed, with aged PE also impairing Zn uptake. These findings demonstrate that aging amplifies MPs' phytotoxicity and soil dysfunction, underscoring their heightened ecological risk in agroecosystems.

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