Biochar Reduces Nanoplastics Uptake by Lettuce and Alleviates Its Toxicity to the Plant

Anwar A. Aly; Junjie Tang; Mahmoud Y. El Zanaty; C. Y. Liu; Arjun S. Kulathuvayal; Yanqing Su; Ibukunoluwa Salako; Zeyu Cai; Jennifer Weidhaas; Zeyu Cai; Chuanxin Ma; Joan E. McLean; Arturo A. Keller; Baoshan Xing; Arturo Keller; Yiming Su; Baoshan Xing; Y. T. Su

doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.5c14785

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Biochar Reduces Nanoplastics Uptake by Lettuce and Alleviates Its Toxicity to the Plant

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2026

Anwar A. Aly, Junjie Tang, Mahmoud Y. El Zanaty, C. Y. Liu, Arjun S. Kulathuvayal, Yanqing Su, Ibukunoluwa Salako, Zeyu Cai, Jennifer Weidhaas, Zeyu Cai, Chuanxin Ma, Joan E. McLean, Arturo A. Keller, Baoshan Xing, Arturo Keller, Yiming Su, Baoshan Xing, Y. T. Su

Summary

Researchers tested whether biochar could reduce nanoplastic uptake by lettuce and found that iron-doped biochar was particularly effective, lowering nanoplastic concentrations in leaves by approximately 60%. Both regular and iron-doped biochar also helped alleviate nanoplastic-induced metabolic disturbances in the plants and partially restored soil enzyme activity.

The accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) in croplands threatens food quality and human health. This study investigates the effectiveness of pristine biochar (BC) and iron-doped biochar (Fe-BC), produced from pine sawdust via one-step pyrolysis, in reducing NPs uptake by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. adela). Fe-BC exhibited greater porosity, higher surface area, and a slightly positive surface charge compared to BC. Using Pd-doped NPs, we confirmed that NPs can penetrate roots and translocate to leaves, accumulating more in older tissues. Soil application of 3 wt % BC or Fe-BC significantly lowered leaf NPs concentrations, with Fe-BC showing a greater reduction, by approximately 60% (from 0.90 to 0.36 mg/kg). While both BC and Fe-BC demonstrated a capacity for alleviating NPs-induced metabolic disturbances and partially restoring soil enzyme activities, Fe-BC presents a more promising amendment for mitigating NPs contamination and protecting crop quality.

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