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Natural Aging Intensifies Microplastic Phytotoxicity in Brassica chinensis
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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.
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 Brassica chinensis 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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Natural Aging IntensifiesMicroplastic Phytotoxicityin Brassica chinensis
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Researchers compared pristine and artificially aged polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics applied to pak choi (Brassica chinensis) in soil over 45 days. Aged MPs with oxidised surfaces caused stronger phytotoxicity than pristine MPs, reducing plant biomass and disrupting soil enzyme activity, demonstrating that environmental weathering worsens MP impacts on crops.
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This study found that microplastics from polyethylene and polypropylene become more toxic to lettuce plants after aging in the environment, reducing plant growth by roughly 25-28% compared to fresh plastic particles. The aged plastics disrupted the soil around plant roots, blocking nutrient absorption and interfering with key metabolic processes. This matters because most microplastics in farm soil have been weathered over time, meaning their real-world effects on food crops may be worse than lab studies using new plastics suggest.
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Researchers exposed the fast-growing plant Brassica rapa (related to turnip and cabbage) to polyethylene microplastics that had been degraded by sunlight, finding that the plastics stunted plant growth by up to 51% and triggered cellular stress responses. Genetic analysis revealed the microplastics disrupted the plant's immune and growth pathways, providing insight into how plastic pollution in agricultural soil could affect food crops.
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Researchers tested how two types of microplastics at different sizes and concentrations affect soil properties and the growth of Chinese cabbage. They found that smaller particles at higher concentrations altered soil enzyme activity and reduced plant growth, though the effects depended on the specific plastic type. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could meaningfully impact crop productivity and soil health.
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