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Exploring the effect of microplastics on the main nutrient contents of highland barley seedlings using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
Summary
Researchers used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to study how polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET microplastics affect the nutritional components of highland barley seedlings. While the basic spectral profiles appeared similar to control plants, advanced analysis revealed that microplastics altered the structure of polysaccharides and proteins, including glycosidic bonds and protein folding patterns. The study provides new insights into how microplastic contamination may subtly affect the nutritional quality of crops.
Microplastics have been extensively detected in water bodies and terrestrial ecosystems, and crops grown in these environments represent a significant food source for human consumption. This study investigates the effects of three widely encountered microplastic types, namely polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), on the growth of highland barley (Hordeum vulgare var. coeleste Linnaeus) seedlings using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the original FTIR spectra of the experimental groups are similar to those of the control group. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) and curve fitting results indicated that microplastics affected the structures of polysaccharides and proteins (such as glycosidic bonds and β-sheet structure) in highland barley seedlings. This study provides new insights for people to understand the impact of microplastics on the nutritional components of plants.