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Differential Leaf-to-Root Movement, Trophic Transfer, and Tissue-Specific Biodistribution of Metal-Based and Polymer-Based Nanoparticles When Present Singly and in Mixture
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Researchers exposed radish plants to metal-based and polymer-based nanoparticles — singly and in mixture — and tracked their movement from leaves to roots and transfer through a terrestrial food chain, finding that co-exposure alters biodistribution patterns in ways that single-exposure studies do not predict.
The transfer of nanoparticles (NPs) through the terrestrial food chain via foliar uptake presents poorly understood risks, especially in scenarios involving copollution and plant translocation. Herein, we exposed the radishes to single and mixed foliar doses of CeO2 NPs and deuterated polystyrene (DPS), investigating the trophic transfer of NPs from radish shoots/roots to snails. Compared to single treatments, mixture treatments increased Ce uptake by plants but had no effect on DPS uptake. Additionally, mixture treatments did not affect the movement of Ce and DPS from shoots to roots. Under NP mixture exposure, trophic transfer efficiencies (TTF) for Ce (2.09 × 10-2) and DPS (2.54 × 10-2) significantly decreased in shoot-feeding snails. In root-feeding snails, TTF for Ce (3.32 × 10-1) also showed a significant decrease, while TTF for DPS remained unchanged. Mixture treatments exhibited differential impacts on different snail body parts, particularly leading to biomagnification of DPS in the digestive glands and soft tissues (TTF > 1) of snails consuming roots exposed to mixtures. Both CeO2 and DPS displayed a sudden increase in assimilation efficiency following translocation to the roots. This study provides insights into changes during trophic transfer due to coexposure and plant translocation processes associated with nanoparticles, enhancing our comprehension regarding their environmental risks.
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Researchers exposed land snails to soil contaminated with both polystyrene microplastics and toxic metals including arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. They found that while microplastics had limited effects on overall metal availability in soil, they did alter the speed and pattern of metal uptake into snail tissues. The study suggests that microplastics may subtly change how organisms absorb environmental contaminants, even when they do not dramatically change the total amount available.
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