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Dual pathways of photosynthetic inhibition by nanoplastics: Light reaction blockade in soybean and carbon fixation enzyme suppression in corn
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This study found that nanoplastics inhibit photosynthesis in plants through two distinct pathways—blocking light reactions and disrupting carbon fixation—with plants using different photosynthetic pathways (C3 vs. C4) showing varying degrees of vulnerability to nanoplastic exposure.
Nanoplastics (NPs) have raised increasing attention due to their potential environmental risks to terrestrial vegetation and food security. However, for the plants with various photosynthetic pathways, the differences in their photosynthetic response and related mechanisms upon NPs exposure are still unclear. Here, the photosynthetic responses of typical soybean and corn plants under polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) exposure were systematically compared for the first time. Our results revealed that the uptake of PSNPs by soybean and corn roots and was efficiently transferred to plant aerial portion through vascular bundle. The net photosynthetic rate of corn and soybean seedlings decreased 13.22 %-42.98 % and 17.28 %-48.19 % respectively, within different concentrations of PSNPs. For soybean plants, PSNPs hindered the photosynthesis in soybean by reducing the chlorophyll content, inhibiting the energy conversion efficiency of PSII and blocking electron transport in the light reaction. But for corn plants, the relative expression of carbon fixation enzyme genes (pepc, rbcL and rbcS) encoding phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) were down-regulated in corn exposed to PSNPs, and the activity of PEPC and Rubisco were significantly decreased by 21.54 %-30.77 % and 9.38 %-18.75 % respectively. The study highlighted PSNPs induce stronger soybean plants stress than corn plants responses from photosynthesis perspectives, which are valuable for evaluating the potential risks of NPs to food security of crops with different photosynthetic pathways.
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Researchers compared root versus foliar exposure routes for polystyrene nanoplastics in rice plants and found that foliar exposure caused far more sustained damage to photosynthesis. The nanoplastics accumulated in leaves and co-localized with chloroplasts, leading to dramatic reductions in photosynthetic pigments, ATP production, and carbon fixation. The study suggests that airborne nanoplastic deposition on crop leaves may represent an underappreciated route of agricultural harm.
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This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics enter plants through roots, disrupt growth and photosynthesis, and cause oxidative stress that reduces crop yields. Because these plastic particles can move through plant tissues and into edible parts, they represent a potential pathway for microplastics to enter the human food supply.
Phytotoxic effect of microplastics on photosynthesis
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This Croatian-language review examines how microplastics affect photosynthesis in plants, describing several mechanisms including light shading, physical damage, and interference with photosynthetic biochemistry. Reduced photosynthesis in primary producers has implications for all organisms higher up the food chain. It is a review paper synthesizing current knowledge on microplastic phytotoxicity.
Micro- and Nanoplastics on Plant Functionalities
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Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics affect plant physiology and function — including germination, root growth, photosynthesis, and nutrient uptake — across a range of crop and wild plant species. Plant uptake of plastic particles is a key mechanism by which microplastic contamination moves from soil into the human food supply, making these effects central to understanding dietary exposure risks.
A systematic review of micro- and nanoplastics impact on plant photosynthesis
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A systematic review with quantitative analysis found that micro- and nanoplastics reduce plant chlorophyll by a median of 8–12% and impair gas exchange, with polystyrene particles at 0.1–1 µm causing the strongest effects, and carotenoids showing even greater sensitivity in aquatic plants. These photosynthetic disruptions across crop and wild plant species indicate that soil and water microplastic contamination poses a measurable threat to agricultural productivity and terrestrial carbon fixation.
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