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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The fate of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in maize: impacts on cellular ion fluxes and plant growth
ClearUnveiling the detrimental effects of polylactic acid microplastics on rice seedlings and soil health
Researchers found that even biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics significantly harmed rice plants at high concentrations, reducing root and shoot weight by roughly half and disrupting photosynthesis, while also altering soil enzyme activity and bacterial communities. These findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are harmless to agriculture and raise questions about their impact on food crops that humans depend on.
Plant Cadmium Toxicity and Biomarkers Are Differentially Modulated by Degradable and Nondegradable Microplastics in Soil
Researchers compared how degradable (polylactic acid) and nondegradable (polypropylene) microplastics affect cadmium toxicity in plants grown in contaminated soil. They found that polypropylene caused greater root growth inhibition, while polylactic acid led to higher levels of cellular stress markers at certain concentrations. The study reveals that both types of microplastics can alter soil chemistry and increase the uptake of heavy metals by crops, but through different mechanisms.
Transcriptomic and metabolomic responses of maize under conventional and biodegradable microplastic stress
Researchers studied how both conventional and biodegradable microplastics affect maize at the molecular level, finding that both types altered plant metabolism and triggered stress responses. The microplastics changed how the plants handled energy, photosynthesis, and hormone signaling, with effects varying by plastic type. This is concerning for food safety because microplastic-contaminated soil could change the nutritional quality or safety of crops that people eat.
Effect of polylactic acid microplastics on soil properties, soil microbials and plant growth
Researchers tested whether microplastics from biodegradable polylactic acid plastic, often proposed as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic, affect soil health and plant growth. High concentrations of these biodegradable microplastics reduced soil pH, altered the ratio of carbon to nitrogen, decreased plant growth, and shifted soil microbial communities. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can negatively affect agricultural ecosystems when they break down into microplastic-sized particles.
Transcription-metabolism analysis of various signal transduction pathways in Brassica chinensis L. exposed to PLA-MPs
Researchers used gene and metabolite analysis to study how microplastics from biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) plastic affect the growth of Chinese cabbage. They found that PLA microplastics altered the expression of genes involved in plant hormone signaling and metabolism, and changed levels of key amino acids and metabolic compounds. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can disrupt plant development at the molecular level, warranting further investigation.
Field application of biodegradable microplastics has no significant effect on plant and soil health in the short term
Researchers conducted a field study to test whether biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect oat and soybean growth or soil health over one growing season. They found that neither fiber nor powder forms of the biodegradable microplastics had significant effects on soil enzyme activities, plant biomass, or crop yield. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics may not pose a significant short-term threat to agricultural ecosystems and could serve as a viable alternative to conventional plastics.
From biodegradation to biohazard: Polylactic acid microplastics induced rice growth inhibition in agroecosystems
Researchers tested the effects of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, a type marketed as biodegradable, on rice growth in soil. They found that PLA microplastics inhibited rice development by reducing nitrogen availability, disrupting root bacteria, and releasing potentially harmful breakdown products. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be as environmentally safe as assumed, particularly in agricultural settings.
Divergent impacts of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on pesticide fate and toxicity in a soil–chive system, underscoring a soil-plant-microbe disruption
Researchers found that biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, despite being marketed as eco-friendly, significantly delayed pesticide degradation in soil and increased plant uptake of a toxic pesticide metabolite by up to 59%. PLA disrupted beneficial soil bacteria and interfered with plant detoxification pathways, while conventional polyethylene microplastics had comparatively milder effects. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may pose unexpected risks when they interact with pesticides in agricultural soils.
Migration pattern and biochemical response characteristics of polylactic acid nanoparticles in pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L. cv. SuZhou) seedlings
Researchers exposed pakchoi seedlings to polylactic acid nanoplastics of different sizes and concentrations in hydroponic solutions. They found that smaller particles at higher concentrations were more readily absorbed by roots and transported to aboveground plant tissues. The nanoplastics caused oxidative stress, reduced antioxidant enzyme activity, and altered chlorophyll and protein content, suggesting that even biodegradable plastic nanoparticles can be harmful to food crops.
The varied effects of different microplastics on stem development and carbon-nitrogen metabolism in tomato
Researchers tested how six different types of microplastics, including both conventional and biodegradable varieties, affect tomato plant growth. All types disrupted the plants' internal structure and altered how they processed carbon and nitrogen, with PVC causing the most severe damage. Notably, biodegradable plastics like PLA and PBS were not harmless either, suggesting that switching to so-called eco-friendly plastics may not fully protect agricultural soil and food crops from microplastic contamination.
Ecological impacts of polylactic acid and polylactic acid-polyethylene microplastics on freshwater ecosystems: Insights from a water–Vallisneria natans–sediment system
Researchers tested the effects of biodegradable PLA and PLA-polyethylene blend microplastics on a freshwater ecosystem containing aquatic plants and sediment. Both types of microplastics altered water chemistry, reduced plant growth, increased oxidative stress, and shifted the microbial communities in both water and sediment. The study demonstrates that even biodegradable plastic alternatives can disrupt freshwater ecosystems in meaningful ways.
Effect of Non-biodegradable and Biodegradable Microplastics on Plants from Physiological to individual levels: A Meta-analysis
This meta-analysis pools data from 180 studies to compare how biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics affect plant health. It found that both types can harm plant growth and physiology, which matters because contaminated crops could eventually transfer microplastics into the food supply that humans depend on.
Adsorption of polyethylene microbeads and physiological effects on hydroponic maize
Researchers evaluated the adsorption, potential uptake, and physiological effects of polyethylene microbeads on hydroponically grown maize plants using carbon isotope analysis. The study estimated that about 30% of the microplastic particles adhered to root surfaces, and exposure affected plant physiology, providing evidence that crop plants can interact with and be affected by microplastic contamination.
Effect of microplastics on the biochemistry of plant
This review synthesizes research on the pathways by which microplastics and nanoplastics are taken up and translocated in plant tissues, the biochemical effects on plant development and nutritional quality, and the detection techniques used to study plant-microplastic interactions. The authors identify major knowledge gaps in understanding soil-borne microplastic behavior and its ecological consequences for agricultural systems.
Biodegradable microplastics induce profound changes in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) defense mechanisms and to some extent deteriorate growth traits
Researchers tested the effects of biodegradable plastic microplastics on lettuce growth and found that while the plants still grew, the microplastics caused significant stress at the cellular level. The plastic particles reduced chlorophyll content, triggered oxidative stress, and forced plants to activate their defense mechanisms, which affected their weight and nutrient content. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are harmless to crops and raises questions about food quality from microplastic-contaminated soil.
Aged polylactic acid microplastics with ultraviolet irradiation stunted pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) germination and growth with cadmium in hydroponics
Researchers found that UV-aged biodegradable PLA microplastics were more harmful to plant growth than fresh ones, especially when combined with cadmium contamination. The aged microplastics increased oxidative damage and reduced nutrient uptake in pakchoi plants. This matters because biodegradable plastics are promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, but they may become more toxic as they break down in the environment.
Environmental levels of microplastics disrupt growth and stress pathways in edible crops via species-specific mechanisms
Researchers studied how environmentally realistic levels of microplastics affect the growth and stress responses of edible crops. The study found that microplastics disrupt plant growth and stress pathways through mechanisms that vary by crop species. These findings highlight the importance of understanding how different plants interact with microplastic particles when assessing risks to agricultural food production.
The multifaceted mechanisms of microplastic inhibition of tomato plant growth: oxidative toxicity, metabolic perturbation, and photosynthetic damage
Researchers exposed tomato seedlings to biodegradable and conventional microplastics and investigated photosynthetic performance, metabolic disruption, and oxidative stress responses. Both microplastic types inhibited tomato growth and caused oxidative damage, with impacts on the photosynthetic apparatus and metabolite profiles, challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer for agricultural systems.
The effects of diverse microplastics on adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) growth and physiologic properties
Researchers tested the effects of three types of microplastics at different concentrations on adzuki bean growth and found that all types caused some damage, with biodegradable polylactic acid having the strongest negative impact on plant biomass. Higher microplastic concentrations significantly reduced chlorophyll content and triggered antioxidant stress responses. The study suggests that even supposedly eco-friendly biodegradable plastics can harm crop plants when they accumulate in soil.
Effects of different types of microplastics in soil on nitrogen absorption and metabolism of quinoa
Researchers grew quinoa in soils spiked with biodegradable (PLA, PBAT) and conventional (PE) microplastics at three concentrations, finding that all types reduced nitrogen-metabolizing enzyme activity and soil organic carbon decomposition, with biodegradable PBAT causing the greatest suppression of nitrogen absorption and moderate concentrations inducing the most severe oxidative stress.
Effect of biodegradable microplastics and Cd co-pollution on Cd bioavailability and plastisphere in soil-plant system
Researchers examined how biodegradable microplastics interact with cadmium contamination in agricultural soil where lettuce is grown. They found that the biodegradable plastics indirectly increased cadmium availability to plants by lowering soil pH and changing soil chemistry. The study suggests that even eco-friendly biodegradable plastics may worsen heavy metal contamination risks in farming soils.
Biodegradable nanoplastics pose a greater risk: Polylactide exceeds polystyrene in phytotoxicity and bioaccumulation in lettuce
Researchers compared the uptake, translocation, and phytotoxicity of polylactic acid (PLA) biodegradable nanoplastics versus conventional polystyrene nanoplastics in lettuce, finding that PLA accumulated at higher levels and caused greater growth inhibition — challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer.
Biodegradable nanoplastics pose a greater risk: Polylactide exceeds polystyrene in phytotoxicity and bioaccumulation in lettuce
Researchers compared the uptake, translocation, and phytotoxicity of polylactic acid (PLA) biodegradable nanoplastics versus conventional polystyrene nanoplastics in lettuce, finding that PLA accumulated at higher levels and caused greater growth inhibition — challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer.
Particle size-dependent biomolecular footprints of interactive microplastics in maize
Researchers tested how five common types of microplastics at different particle sizes affect maize seedlings at the molecular and physiological level. The study found that smaller microplastic particles (75-150 micrometers) caused more cellular damage than larger ones, disrupting cell membranes, reducing photosynthetic pigments, and triggering stress responses. Mixtures of multiple plastic types were especially harmful, suggesting that real-world combinations of microplastic pollution may pose greater risks to crops than individual plastic types.