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Determining the accumulation potential of nanoplastics in crops: An investigation of 14C-labelled polystyrene nanoplastic into radishes
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Researchers used a radioactive labeling technique to track nanoplastics as they moved through radish plants, demonstrating for the first time that these particles can accumulate in edible tissues. About 25% of the nanoplastics absorbed by the roots were found in the edible fleshy root, with another 10% reaching the shoots. The findings highlight a potential pathway for human exposure to nanoplastics through everyday vegetables.
The capacity of crops to accumulate nanoplastics has remained relatively unexplored largely due to analytical constraints. To address this challenge, the present study employed a radiolabelling approach to demonstrate, for the first time, that polystyrene nanoplastics (14C-PS NPs) accumulate and move into the edible tissues of radishes (Raphanus sativus). Radishes were exposed hydroponically for five days, with only their non-fleshy roots in contact with the 14C-PS NPs, while accumulation in the fleshy (edible) roots and shoots was subsequently measured. The radish roots retained nearly 5 % of the 14C-PS NPs from the exposure, either through accumulation or surface adsorption on the non-fleshy root system. The presence of 14C-PS NPs in the fleshy root and shoots supports the notion that PS NPs can cross the Casparian strip, facilitating uptake and accumulation into the internal plant tissues. The distribution of associated 14C-PS NPs followed the trend of non-fleshy root > fleshy root > shoots, decreasing further from the site of exposure. Notably, ∼25 % of the accumulated 14C-PS NPs were detected in the edible fleshy root, and approximately 10 % in the shoots. These results highlight a potential pathway for human exposure to nanoplastics through the ingestion of edible plant parts, which requires further exploration, underscoring the need for further research into this emerging food safety issue.
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Scientists exposed four different vegetable crops to fluorescent nanoplastics and tracked where the particles ended up in the plants. Nanoplastics were absorbed through the roots and transported to the stems and leaves of all plants tested, including tomatoes, radishes, and leafy greens. This confirms that food crops can take up nanoplastics from contaminated soil and deliver them to the parts of the plant that people eat.
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Researchers examined the uptake and movement of polystyrene nanoplastics in lettuce, carrot, and wheat following root and foliar exposure using confocal and electron microscopy. The study found that nanoplastics were internalized in root, stem, and leaf tissues of all three species, with lettuce showing the most extensive systemic transport including bidirectional movement, raising potential concerns for human exposure through crop consumption.
Uptake and accumulation of microplastics in an edible plant
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Researchers demonstrated for the first time that edible plants can take up and accumulate microplastics from soil. Using fluorescently labeled polystyrene beads, they showed that 0.2-micrometer particles entered lettuce roots through small cracks at lateral root emergence sites, traveled through the vascular system, and accumulated in the leaves. The findings raise concerns about a previously unrecognized pathway for human microplastic exposure through the consumption of vegetables grown in contaminated soil.
Luminous polystyrene upconverted nanoparticles to visualize the traces of nanoplastics in a vegetable plant
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Luminous polystyrene upconverted nanoparticles were used to track the uptake and accumulation of nanoplastics in edible plants, providing a novel visualization method that revealed specific tissues and pathways through which nanoplastics travel from soil through roots into above-ground plant structures.
Polystyrene Nanoplastics Compromise the Nutritional Value of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulated in radish roots and peels, reducing the vegetable's nutritional quality by disrupting its metabolism at the genetic level. When the contaminated radish was put through a simulated human digestion process, the nanoplastics were released and could potentially be absorbed by the body. This study shows how nanoplastics in soil can reduce the nutritional value of crops and create a direct route of human exposure through everyday vegetables.
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