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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Disruption of auxin homeostasis by negatively charged nanoplastics inhibits plant primary root development
ClearDifferentially charged nanoplastics demonstrate distinct accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Researchers exposed Arabidopsis thaliana plants to positively and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics and found that charge determined accumulation patterns, with positively charged particles penetrating deeper into root and leaf tissues than negatively charged ones.
Charge-selective polystyrene nanoplastic retention by plant cell walls: Pectin domains dictate differential accumulation in rice seedling roots and shoots
A study of rice seedling roots found that plant cell walls act as a charge-selective barrier to nanoplastics: negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-COOH) accumulated nearly 4.5 times more in shoots than positively charged ones (PS-NH₂), while positive nanoplastics were preferentially retained in root cell walls by binding to pectin. The results are directly relevant to food safety because they show that nanoplastic surface chemistry determines how much plastic penetrates into the edible parts of a major global food crop.
Impacts of foliar-applied polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface charges on tetracycline accumulation, phytotoxicity, and the endophytic microbiota in Chrysanthemum coronarium L.
Researchers applied polystyrene nanoplastics of different surface charges to chrysanthemum leaves and found that positively charged particles most strongly reduced antibiotic (tetracycline) uptake, suppressed iron absorption and chlorophyll production, and increased oxidative damage — while also reshaping the plant's internal microbiome — demonstrating that atmospheric nanoplastic deposition can alter both contaminant bioavailability and plant health.
Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different functional groups on rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings: Combined transcriptome, enzymology, and physiology
Researchers exposed rice seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface chemistries and found that all types reduced plant growth and photosynthetic ability. The amino-modified (positively charged) nanoplastics caused the most severe damage, reducing shoot growth by over 40% and dry weight by more than 70%. The study revealed that different surface modifications trigger distinct biological responses in the plant, affecting everything from ion transport to protein synthesis.
Charge-specific impacts of polystyrene nanoplastics on acidogenesis and biofilm adaptation in Ethanoligenens harbinense
Positively and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics had different effects on acidobacteria (a major group of soil bacteria), with charge-specific impacts on community composition and activity. The findings indicate that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics, not just their size, determines ecological impact.
Do differentially charged nanoplastics affect imidacloprid uptake, translocation, and metabolism in Chinese flowering cabbage?
Researchers found that positively charged nanoplastics inhibited plant growth and reduced imidacloprid translocation in Chinese flowering cabbage, while negatively charged nanoplastics accelerated pesticide accumulation in shoots, revealing charge-dependent interactions affecting food safety.
Root Meristem Maintenance Mechanisms are Key to Plant Defense Against Nanoplastics
Researchers discovered that the smallest nanoplastics (20 nanometers) dramatically inhibit root growth in plants, while larger particles have minimal effects. The tiny plastics damage root meristem cells and block cell division, prompting plants to activate defense mechanisms that redirect the growth hormone auxin to protect their roots. However, this defensive response comes at a cost, impairing the plant's ability to sense gravity, which is essential for adapting to its environment.
Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on lead toxicity in dandelion seedlings
Researchers investigated how different types of functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics affect lead toxicity in dandelion seedlings. The results showed that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics matters: carboxy-modified particles with negative surface charges enhanced lead toxicity, while amino-modified particles with positive charges reduced it, highlighting the complex interactions between nanoplastics and heavy metal contaminants in plants.
Effects of charged polystyrene microplastics on the bioavailability of dufulin in tomato plant
Researchers studied how differently charged polystyrene microplastics affect the uptake of a pesticide called Dufulin in hydroponic tomato plants. They found that all types of microplastics reduced plant growth and decreased the amount of pesticide absorbed by the tomatoes, with negatively charged particles having the strongest effect. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural systems may alter how pesticides accumulate in food crops.
Toxicity Mechanisms of Nanoplastics on Crop Growth, Interference of Phyllosphere Microbes, and Evidence for Foliar Penetration and Translocation
Researchers exposed tomato plants to nanoplastics with different surface charges and found that positively charged particles caused the most damage, including stunted growth, increased stress responses, and disruption of the leaf microbiome. The nanoplastics penetrated through leaves and traveled to the roots, demonstrating that atmospheric plastic pollution can contaminate crops from above. This is a concern for food safety, as nanoplastics accumulating in edible plants could be a route of human exposure.
Comparative effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface charge on seedling establishment of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.)
Researchers compared the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface charges on Chinese cabbage seedlings. The study found that positively charged amino-modified nanoplastics caused more severe phytotoxicity than negatively charged particles, significantly reducing photosynthetic pigment contents during plant growth stages.
Nanoplastics Drive the Charge-specific Decline of Aquatic Insect (Chironomus kiinensis) Emergence through Inducing Oxidative Damage and Perturbing the Endocrine System
Researchers found that nanoplastics with a positive electrical charge were more harmful to aquatic insects than negatively charged ones, reducing emergence rates by over 22% at environmentally relevant concentrations. The positively charged particles were absorbed more easily by larvae due to stronger attraction to cell membranes, causing greater oxidative damage and hormonal disruption.
Mechanistic insights into the effects of micro- and nano-plastics on cherry radish physiology and organic compound distribution at the soil-root interface.
Researchers exposed cherry radish to polyethylene microplastics (2 µm) and nanoplastics (200 nm) at varying concentrations and measured effects on plant physiology and organic compound distribution at the soil-root interface. Smaller nanoplastic particles caused greater disruption to root exudate chemistry and plant metabolism than the larger microplastics, pointing to a size-dependent toxicity mechanism.
Foliar uptake and leaf-to-root translocation of nanoplastics with different coating charge in maize plants
Researchers showed that nanoplastics can enter maize plants not just through roots but also through leaves, and then travel down to the roots through the plant's internal transport system. Positively charged nanoplastics stuck to leaf surfaces more readily but also caused more damage to photosynthesis and triggered stronger stress responses in the plants. This finding is important because it reveals an additional pathway for nanoplastic contamination of food crops through airborne particles landing on leaves.
Polystyrene microplastics disturb the redox homeostasis, carbohydrate metabolism and phytohormone regulatory network in barley
Researchers exposed barley plants to polystyrene microplastics and found the particles accumulated in roots and stunted rootlet development by disrupting redox balance, carbohydrate metabolism enzymes, and phytohormone signaling pathways.
Toxicity effects of nanoplastics on soybean (Glycine max L.): Mechanisms and transcriptomic analysis
Researchers exposed soybean plants to polystyrene nanoplastics and observed inhibited stem and root growth, increased oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthesis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that nanoplastics altered the expression of genes involved in plant stress responses, hormone signaling, and metabolic pathways. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could negatively affect crop growth and yield at the molecular level.
Differentially Charged Nanoplastics Induce Distinct Effects on the Growth and Gut of Benthic Insects (Chironomus kiinensis) via Charge-Specific Accumulation and Perturbation of the Gut Microbiota
Researchers exposed aquatic insect larvae to positively and negatively charged nanoplastics and found that the surface charge significantly affected how toxic the particles were. Positively charged nanoplastics caused more severe gut damage, greater accumulation in tissues, and bigger disruptions to gut bacteria. This matters because nanoplastics in the real environment carry various charges, and the findings suggest that charge is an important factor in determining health risks.
Effects of nanoplastics and compound pollutants containing nanoplastics on plants, microorganisms and rhizosphere systems: A review
This review summarizes how nanoplastics, the tiniest plastic particles, affect plants, soil microorganisms, and the root zone where they interact. Nanoplastics can disrupt photosynthesis, alter gene activity, and reduce microbial diversity, and their harmful effects get worse when they combine with heavy metals or other pollutants. Since plant roots are a key pathway for nanoplastics to enter the food chain, these effects could ultimately impact the safety and nutritional quality of the food we eat.
Indole-3-acetic acid and zinc synergistically mitigate positively charged nanoplastic-induced damage in rice
Positively charged 80 nm polystyrene nanoplastics had the greatest impact on rice seedling growth, reducing dry biomass by 41% and root length by 46%, while supplemental zinc and indole-3-acetic acid together significantly alleviated the nanoplastic-induced growth inhibition.
Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal the effects of nanoplastics on root development, oxidative stress, and metabolic pathways in different apple rootstock varieties
Nanoplastics from degrading agricultural plastic films accumulate in orchard soils and are now being detected in apple tree roots — and this study shows that at high concentrations, polystyrene nanoplastics inhibit root development and impair antioxidant defenses in apple seedlings. Molecular analysis revealed that nanoplastics disrupt the plant's balance of growth hormones (cytokinins), accelerating the breakdown of active hormones and leaving the plant less able to cope with oxidative stress. The findings are concerning for apple production globally, where plastic mulch films are widely used, and suggest that some rootstock varieties are significantly more vulnerable than others.
Molecular mechanisms underlying microplastics-induced inhibition of lateral root development in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
Researchers investigated how PET microplastics affect tomato seedling root development and found that exposure significantly inhibited lateral root growth, reduced chlorophyll content, and impaired photosynthesis. The study revealed that microplastics triggered oxidative stress in root tips and disrupted auxin and abscisic acid hormone signaling pathways, suggesting these molecular mechanisms underlie the observed phytotoxicity.
Response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots to nanoplastic treatment at seedling stage
Researchers exposed rice seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles were taken up by the roots, aided by water-transporting proteins in the plant. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, reduced root length, and disrupted carbon metabolism and hormone production in the seedlings. The study raises concerns that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could affect crop growth and potentially enter the human food supply through rice consumption.
Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on physiology, nutrient uptake, and root system architecture of aeroponically grown citrus plants
Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics of two sizes (20 nm and 50 nm) affect citrus rootstock plants grown in an aeroponic system. The 20 nm nanoplastics significantly reduced root system architecture and nutrient uptake, though overall plant growth and photosynthesis were not immediately affected. Microscopic analysis showed that while nanoplastics adhered to root surfaces, they did not appear to enter the roots, though they did cause visible damage to outer root cell layers.
Positively Charged Microplastics Induce Strong Lettuce Stress Responses from Physiological, Transcriptomic, and Metabolomic Perspectives
Researchers exposed lettuce leaves to microplastics carrying different electrical charges and found that positively charged particles caused significantly stronger stress responses than negatively charged or neutral ones. The positively charged microplastics accumulated more in leaf tissue and triggered widespread changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways. The study suggests that the surface charge of microplastics is an important factor in determining their toxicity to plants.