Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Combined Phytotoxicity of Microplastics andLead on the Growth and Physio-BiochemicalCharacteristics of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Researchers grew tobacco plants in soil contaminated with both polyethylene microplastics and lead, finding that the combination caused greater damage to photosynthesis and plant growth than either pollutant alone, while microplastics partially reduced how much lead roots absorbed. The study shows that microplastic and heavy metal co-contamination — increasingly common in agricultural soils — poses compounding risks to crop health.

2025 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
Article Tier 2

An Impact Of Microplastic And Microplastic + Lead Induced Toxicity On Growth Parameters And Chlorophyll Content Of Tomato Plant: (Comparison Study)

Researchers grew tomato plants in soil spiked with polyethylene microplastics alone and combined with lead nitrate at multiple concentrations to compare their toxicity. Both treatments reduced shoot length, fresh and dry weight, and chlorophyll content in a dose-dependent manner, with the combined microplastic-plus-lead treatment causing more severe harm than either pollutant alone.

2025 African Journal of Biomedical Research
Article Tier 2

Effects of polypropylene microplastics and lead (Pb) contamination on soil properties and the growth response of Ficus Benjamina

Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics and lead contamination together cause greater harm to soil chemistry and plant growth than either contaminant alone, with Ficus plants showing significantly reduced leaf area, root length, and total biomass when exposed to both. Microplastics also lowered soil pH and depleted essential nutrients, compounding the toxic effects of the heavy metal.

2025 Discover Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Coexistence of microplastics and heavy metals in soil: Occurrence, transport, key interactions and effect on plants

This review examines how microplastics and heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic interact in soil, often creating combined toxic effects on plants that differ from either pollutant alone. These interactions are relevant to human health because contaminated crops can transfer both microplastics and heavy metals to people through the food supply.

2024 Environmental Research 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of combined microplastics and heavy metals pollution on terrestrial plants and rhizosphere environment: A review

This review summarizes how microplastics and heavy metals interact in soil to affect plant growth and the surrounding ecosystem. When present together, these pollutants cause significantly more harm than either alone, reducing plant weight by up to 87.5% and altering how heavy metals accumulate in crops -- raising concerns about food safety and human exposure through contaminated agricultural products.

2024 Chemosphere 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Coupled effects of microplastics and heavy metals on plants: Uptake, bioaccumulation, and environmental health perspectives

This review examines how microplastics and heavy metals work together to harm plants when both are present in soil. Microplastics can absorb heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic, and when plants take up these contaminated particles, the combined toxic effect is worse than either pollutant alone. This is concerning for human health because crops grown in contaminated soil could carry both microplastics and concentrated heavy metals into the food supply.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 205 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of polystyrene microplastics and Pb on growth and phytochemicals in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.)

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and lead on mung bean plants. They found that when both pollutants were present together, the damage was more severe, reducing plant weight, impairing photosynthesis, and disrupting chlorophyll production and enzyme activity. The study suggests that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to create amplified harmful effects on crop plants in contaminated agricultural environments.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Co-Contaminants (Microplastics and Others) on Heavy Metal/Metalloid Toxicity and Accumulation in Plants

This review examines how microplastics act as co-contaminants alongside heavy metals and metalloids in agricultural soils, influencing their toxicity and uptake by plants. Researchers found that the presence of microplastics can alter how metals like cadmium, arsenic, and lead accumulate in plant tissues, with implications for crop safety and agricultural productivity.

2026 International Journal of Environment and Climate Change
Article Tier 2

The role of microplastic pollution in the modification of the physicochemical properties of arable soil and uptake of potential toxic elements by plants

Researchers conducted a series of studies analyzing how microplastic pollution modifies the physicochemical properties of arable soil and affects the uptake of potentially toxic heavy metals by plants, beginning with a comprehensive literature review of microplastic interactions with plant physiology, metals, pesticides, and pathogens.

2025 Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances on Multilevel Effects of Micro(Nano)Plastics and Coexisting Pollutants on Terrestrial Soil-Plants System

This review systematically summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics, alone and combined with co-existing pollutants, affect soil properties and terrestrial plants at multiple biological levels. Researchers found that microplastics can serve as carriers for heavy metals, organic contaminants, and biological pollutants, with their specific impacts depending on polymer type, size, shape, and concentration. Evidence indicates that plants can take up and transport micro- and nanoplastics, leading to effects on growth, metabolism, and even DNA damage.

2023 Sustainability 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of microplastic and lead on submerged macrophytes

Researchers tested the combined toxicity of microplastics and lead on two species of submerged aquatic plants over five days. They found that lead alone reduced photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, and sugar content while increasing oxidative stress markers, and microplastics aggravated lead toxicity on certain parameters in a species-specific manner. The study suggests that microplastics may enhance heavy metal toxicity in aquatic plants, with effects varying between species.

2022 Chemosphere 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of polyethylene microplastics and lead (Pb) on the biomass, activity, and community diversity of soil microbes

A soil experiment found that polyethylene microplastics made lead (a toxic heavy metal) more available in soil and worsened its harmful effects on soil microorganisms. The combination reduced beneficial enzyme activity, lowered microbial efficiency, and shifted the soil microbial community, suggesting that microplastic pollution in contaminated soils could amplify heavy metal toxicity in ways that ultimately affect food crops and human health.

2024 Environmental Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics on terrestrial plants: A critical review

This review examines how microplastics affect land-based plants, finding that they can alter soil structure, disrupt beneficial soil microbes, and reduce plant growth. Microplastics also carry toxic chemicals like plasticizers and heavy metals that can be taken up by plant roots and enter the food chain. The findings raise concerns about human health since contaminated crops could be a hidden source of microplastic and chemical exposure in our diets.

2024 Land Degradation and Development 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro (nano) plastic pollution: The ecological influence on soil-plant system and human health.

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil health, plant growth, and food quality, finding that these particles accumulate in plant root systems and can reduce crop yields and alter nutritional content. Since contaminated soil and water are increasingly delivering microplastics to food crops, these findings are directly relevant to agricultural food safety.

2021 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to microplastics and soil pollutants significantly exacerbates toxicity to crops: Insights from a global meta and machine-learning analysis

A large-scale analysis of 68 studies found that when microplastics combine with other soil pollutants, the harm to crops is significantly worse than from the other pollutants alone. Microplastics intensified damage to plant growth, increased oxidative stress, and reduced photosynthesis efficiency. Interestingly, microplastics did reduce the amount of other pollutants that accumulated in the crops, but the overall toxic effects on plant health were still greater.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined interactions and ecotoxicological effects of micro/nanoplastics and organic pollutants in soil–plant systems: a critical overview

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics interact with organic pollutants in soil-plant systems. The study highlights that these plastic particles can act synergistically with organic pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems, posing combined threats to soil and plant health that warrant further investigation.

2025 Environmental Science Advances 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of soil microplastic contamination and cadmium toxicity on the growth, physiology, and root growth traits of Triticum aestivum L.

Researchers grew wheat plants in soil contaminated with polyethylene microplastics, the toxic heavy metal cadmium, or both, finding that combined exposure caused the worst damage — shrinking root area, reducing gas exchange in leaves, and lowering key growth indicators. These findings raise concerns about crop yields in farmland where plastic pollution and heavy metal contamination overlap, which is increasingly common.

2023 South African Journal of Botany 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic modulation of Lead (II) bioavailability by polyethylene terephthalate microplastics and insights into assimilation kinetics in Canna indica

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in soil can make plants absorb up to 250% more lead, a toxic heavy metal that's harmful to humans. This happens because the plastic pieces act like a delivery system, carrying more lead into plants that we might eventually eat. This research suggests that areas with plastic pollution in the soil could pose greater health risks than previously thought, especially for crops grown in contaminated areas.

2026 International Journal of Science and Research Archive
Review Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastics and typical pollutants on the soil-plant system: a mini-review

This review examines how microplastics interact with heavy metals and organic pollutants in soil and what that means for plant growth. Researchers found that certain plastic types can increase the availability of toxic metals like cadmium while also affecting how organic chemicals behave in soil. The study suggests that the combined presence of microplastics and other pollutants in agricultural soils may create compounding risks to crop health and food safety.

2024 Circular Agricultural Systems 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics and heavy metals on soil-plant microbial dynamics

This study examined how polyethylene microplastics interact with heavy metals in soil and found that microplastics significantly reduced plant growth while altering soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. The combination of microplastics and heavy metals disrupted nutrient cycling in the soil in ways that were different from either pollutant alone. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop nutrition and food production.

2023 Environmental Pollution 37 citations