Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Single and combined effect of tetracycline and polyethylene microplastics on two drought contrasting cultivars of Oryza sativa L. (Rice) under drought stress

Researchers studied how the combination of the antibiotic tetracycline and polyethylene microplastics affects two rice varieties under drought conditions. They found that drought-resistant and drought-sensitive rice cultivars responded differently — the sensitive variety accumulated more of the antibiotic under drought stress. Metabolic analysis revealed that drought combined with these pollutants caused widespread disruption of plant metabolic processes, suggesting that climate stress and plastic pollution together may pose compounded risks to crop production.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of individual and combined polystyrene nanoplastics and phenanthrene on the enzymology, physiology, and transcriptome parameters of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers conducted a hydroponic experiment to evaluate how polystyrene nanoplastics and phenanthrene, individually and in combination, affect rice plants. The study examined effects on enzyme activity, plant physiology, and gene expression over seven days. Evidence indicates that the combination of nanoplastics with organic pollutants can produce different impacts on crop growth compared to either contaminant alone.

2022 Chemosphere 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polypropylene Microplastics and Copper Contamination on Rice Seedling Growth

Researchers studied how polypropylene microplastics and copper contamination individually and jointly affect rice seedling growth in hydroponic conditions. The study found that microplastics alone slightly promoted growth, while copper inhibited it, and the combination reduced copper accumulation in seedlings compared to copper alone, suggesting complex interactions between these pollutants in agricultural settings.

2026 Nanomaterials
Article Tier 2

Joint effects of microplastics and ciprofloxacin on their toxicity and fates in wheat: A hydroponic study

Researchers found that microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin jointly affected wheat growth in hydroponic conditions, with microplastics altering ciprofloxacin uptake and toxicity while the antibiotic influenced microplastic accumulation in plant tissues.

2022 Chemosphere 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbiome (rice soil)

Researchers investigated the effects of polyamide microplastics combined with common antimicrobials — sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and triclosan — on bacterial communities in rice paddy soil microbiomes. The project aimed to characterize how co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics alters soil microbial diversity and community composition in agricultural environments.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on growth and metabolism of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers found that polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics inhibited rice growth and disrupted ionic homeostasis and antioxidant metabolism in a dose-dependent manner, with PVC microplastics causing more severe effects than polystyrene.

2022 Chemosphere 153 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated effects of polyamide microplastics and common antimicrobials in reclaimed water on the growth of lettuce (Lactuva sativa L.) and soil bacterial communities

Researchers grew lettuce irrigated with reclaimed water containing polyamide microplastics combined with antibiotics and measured effects on plant growth and soil bacterial communities. The combined contaminants disrupted soil microbial diversity and altered antibiotic bioavailability, while lettuce biomass and nutrient uptake declined, with implications for food safety in regions relying on reclaimed water irrigation.

2025 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Article Tier 2

Stress response to oxytetracycline and microplastic-polyethylene in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during seed germination and seedling growth stages

Researchers investigated the combined effects of the antibiotic oxytetracycline and polyethylene microplastics on wheat seed germination and seedling growth. The study found that while oxytetracycline caused direct toxicity to plant growth, the presence of microplastics modified the antibiotic's effects in complex ways, reprogramming metabolic profiles in wheat leaves differently than either contaminant alone.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of microplastics and ciprofloxacin co-contamination on arsenic bioaccumulation and microbial dysbiosis in rice soils: Implications for multi-pollutant agroecosystem risks

Researchers studied how microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together affect arsenic accumulation in rice plants and soil microbial communities. They found that the combination of these pollutants significantly increased arsenic uptake by rice seedlings and disrupted beneficial soil bacteria more than any single contaminant alone. The study warns that the co-occurrence of microplastics, antibiotics, and heavy metals in agricultural soils could amplify food safety risks.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics and drought co-exposure alter rice growth by affecting metabolomics and proteomics

Researchers investigated how PVC microplastics combined with drought stress affect rice growth using advanced protein and metabolite analysis. They found that both stressors individually harmed rice development, but together they caused even greater damage to plant metabolism and growth. The study reveals that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may worsen the effects of drought on crop production.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Phenotypic and transcriptomic shifts in roots and leaves of rice under the joint stress from microplastic and arsenic

This study examined how rice plants respond when exposed to both microplastics and heavy metal cadmium at the same time. Researchers found that the combination caused distinct changes in root and leaf gene expression and growth patterns compared to either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics may alter how plants take up and respond to heavy metals, potentially affecting crop safety.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploration of Single and Co-Toxic Effects of Polypropylene Micro-Plastics and Cadmium on Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers investigated the single and combined toxic effects of polypropylene microplastics and cadmium on rice plants, finding that co-exposure altered cadmium bioavailability and produced compounded negative effects on plant growth and development.

2022 Nanomaterials 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on free-floating freshwater organisms, examining how co-exposure to these two pollutants interacts compared to individual exposures. Nanoplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of the antibiotic, demonstrating complex mixture effects in aquatic systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastic composite with florfenicol on photosynthetic carbon assimilation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings: Light reactions, carbon reactions, and molecular metabolism

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics combined with the veterinary antibiotic florfenicol affect photosynthesis in rice seedlings. While both pollutants individually inhibited photosynthesis, the microplastics actually reduced the antibiotic's toxic effects on the plants by altering how the drug was absorbed. The study reveals complex interactions between microplastics and agricultural chemicals that can produce surprising outcomes for crop health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated Effects of Polyamide Microplastics and Three Abundant Antimicrobials and Reclaimed Water On The Growth of Lettuce and Soil Bacterial Communities

Researchers investigated the combined effects of polyamide microplastics and three common antimicrobials -- sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and triclosan -- alongside reclaimed water irrigation on lettuce growth and soil bacterial community composition. The study examined how simultaneous exposure to microplastics and pharmaceutical contaminants alters soil microbial ecology in agricultural settings.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Combined Stress of Polyethylene and Sulfamethazine on Seed Germination, Seedling Growth, and Physiological Characteristics of Soybean].

A pot experiment found that low concentrations of polyethylene (PE) microplastics partially promoted soybean seed germination and growth, while high concentrations inhibited plant development, and that the antibiotic sulfamethazine caused dose-dependent inhibition that was partially alleviated by low-level PE co-exposure. These combined effects reveal complex interactions between microplastic and pharmaceutical contaminants in agricultural soils that affect crop productivity.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic attenuated the toxic effects of florfenicol on rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings in hydroponics: From the perspective of oxidative response, phototoxicity and molecular metabolism

This study found that when polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic florfenicol are present together in water, the microplastics actually reduced the antibiotic's toxic effects on rice seedlings. The microplastics caused the antibiotic to clump together, reducing how much the plant absorbed. While this might sound positive, it shows that microplastics change how other pollutants behave in unpredictable ways, which complicates our understanding of real-world environmental contamination.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Looking into the effects of co-contamination by micro(nano)plastics in the presence of other pollutants on irrigated edible plants

This review examines the combined effects of micro- and nanoplastics with other pollutants found in treated wastewater used for crop irrigation. Researchers analyzed 19 studies and found that the joint exposure to plastics and contaminants like heavy metals or pesticides often produced different toxicity outcomes than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that using reclaimed wastewater for irrigation may expose food crops to complex mixtures of pollutants whose combined effects are still poorly understood.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of oxytetracycline and microplastic on wheat seedling growth and associated rhizosphere bacterial communities and soil metabolite profiles

Researchers examined how the antibiotic oxytetracycline combined with polyethylene microplastics affects wheat seedling growth and soil microbial communities. They found that high concentrations of the antibiotic combined with microplastics significantly reduced seedling growth and altered the bacterial communities around the roots. The study reveals that the co-presence of antibiotics and microplastics in agricultural soils may create compounding negative effects on crop health.

2022 Environmental Pollution 109 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of single and combined pollution of PE microplastics and antibiotics in soil on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings

This study examined the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and antibiotic exposure on soil organisms, finding that mixture exposure altered soil microbial community structure and promoted antibiotic resistance gene abundance more than either stressor alone. Co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics poses compounded risks for soil microbiomes.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles increase arsenic toxicity to rice seedlings

Researchers studied how polystyrene and polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics interact with arsenic to affect rice seedling growth. They found that microplastics alone reduced plant biomass and inhibited photosynthesis, while the combination with arsenic at higher concentrations amplified the toxic effects on root activity and cell membranes. The study reveals that microplastic contamination in agricultural settings may worsen the impact of other pollutants on food crops.

2019 Environmental Pollution 444 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoplastics: Critical review of their impacts on plants, interactions with other contaminants (antibiotics, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and management strategies

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics harm plants, both alone and in combination with other pollutants like antibiotics, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons. The combined exposure often worsens the damage, including inhibited growth, reduced seed germination, and genetic toxicity. The review also explores strategies to reduce this plant damage, which matters for food safety since contaminated crops are a route for microplastics to reach humans.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 83 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of soil microplastics on Oryza sativa L. root growth traits under alien plant invasion

Researchers studied how microplastics in soil interact with an invasive weed species to affect rice root growth. Both stressors individually harmed rice roots, but their combination produced complex interactive effects that altered root architecture and nutrient uptake. This suggests that microplastic pollution in farmland may compound the damage caused by invasive plants, creating compounding threats to crop productivity.

2023 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics change the safe production ability of arsenic-stressed rice (Oryza sativa L.) by regulating the antioxidant capacity, arsenic absorption, and distribution in rice

Researchers studied how polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination to affect rice growth and food safety. They found that the type of microplastic influenced how arsenic accumulated in different parts of the rice plant, with some combinations increasing arsenic levels in the edible grain. The findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination in agricultural soils altering how toxic metals are taken up by food crops.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 4 citations