We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Optimizing a controlled environment for microplastics uptake by aquatic plants
ClearOptimizing a controlled environment for microplastics uptake by aquatic plants
Researchers optimised experimental conditions for assessing microplastics uptake by aquatic plants, using polypropylene as a model polymer due to its lower-than-water density that causes particles to float at the water-air interface where many aquatic plants reside. Particle size distribution and composition were characterised using SEM, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, optical microscopy, and laser diffraction across four water matrices.
Tracing and trapping micro- and nanoplastics: Untapped mitigation potential of aquatic plants?
Researchers used fluorescently labeled polystyrene particles to trace microplastic and nanoplastic uptake in three aquatic plant species, finding that nanoplastics concentrated primarily in roots via apoplastic transport with bioconcentration factors up to 306, suggesting floating plants like water hyacinth may be useful for removing plastic from contaminated water.
The effects of microplastics size and type on entrapment by freshwater macrophytes under vertical and lateral deposition
Researchers investigated how microplastic particle size and polymer type affect entrapment by freshwater macrophytes, finding that certain aquatic plant species preferentially intercepted specific particle sizes and that plant morphology determined capture efficiency across MPs of varying dimensions.
A low-impact nature-based solution for reducing aquatic microplastics from freshwater ecosystems
Researchers developed a nature-based solution using the submerged plant Myriophyllum aquaticum to capture and retain microplastics from freshwater ecosystems. Through optimization experiments, they achieved high retention efficiency with minimal environmental disruption. The study demonstrates that aquatic plants can serve as a low-impact, practical tool for reducing microplastic pollution in rivers and lakes.
The threat of micro/nanoplastic to aquatic plants: current knowledge, gaps, and future perspectives
This review summarizes what is known about how micro- and nanoplastics affect aquatic plants, including how plants absorb these particles through roots and leaves and transport them internally. Exposure can alter plant growth, photosynthesis, and interactions with other organisms, though effects vary widely depending on plastic type and concentration. The authors highlight major research gaps and call for more studies on real-world conditions rather than controlled lab settings.
Aquatic plants entrap different size of plastics in indoor flume experiments
Researchers found that aquatic plants effectively entrap plastics in riverine environments, with plant species and plastic particle size influencing retention rates, suggesting vegetation plays an important role in limiting downstream plastic transport.
Effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on the growth of sediment-rooted macrophytes
Both nano- and microplastic particles negatively affected the growth of freshwater macrophytes in sediment-rooted experiments, with nanoplastics causing more pronounced effects at lower concentrations. The findings highlight that aquatic plants, which form the base of many freshwater food webs, are vulnerable to plastic particle pollution.
Matrix Matters: novel insights for the extraction, preparation, and quantitation of microplastics in a freshwater mesocosm study
Researchers developed improved methods for extracting, preparing, and quantifying secondary microplastics in freshwater mesocosm studies, addressing the current lack of reliable extraction techniques needed for robust microplastic exposure and risk assessments.
Where Is All the Plastic? How Microplastic Partitions across Environmental Compartments within a Large Pelagic In-Lake Mesocosm
Researchers tracked how microplastic fragments of varying buoyancy partition among water column, sediment, and surface film compartments in an experimental aquatic system, finding that particle density and biofouling strongly determine where MPs ultimately accumulate in the environment.
An experimental study on microplastic settling velocities in different water environments: Which factors shape the settling process?
Researchers experimentally investigated how biofilm formation and weathering processes affect the settling velocities of microplastics across different water matrices, identifying the key physical and biological factors shaping how particles sink in aquatic environments.
Assessing phytotoxicity of microplastics on aquatic plants using fluorescent microplastics
Researchers tested the effects of tiny fluorescent microplastics on three types of aquatic plants and found that two species showed significantly reduced biomass after three weeks of exposure. They confirmed through laser fluorescence detection that the plants took up the microplastic particles. The study provides early evidence that microplastics can be directly harmful to aquatic plant growth, an area that has received limited research attention.
Transport dynamics of microplastics within aquatic vegetation featuring realistic plant morphology
Researchers investigated how aquatic vegetation with realistic plant structures affects the transport and trapping of microplastics in river environments. They found that floating plant canopies significantly altered water flow and increased microplastic retention, with smaller nanoscale particles being trapped more effectively than larger ones. The study suggests that aquatic vegetation may act as a natural filter, accumulating microplastics and potentially preventing their transport downstream to oceans.
Phytoremediation: A promising approach to remove microplastics from the aquatic environment
This study investigated the interactions between aquatic macrophytes and microplastics as the basis for developing phytoremediation strategies, finding that certain macrophyte species can accumulate MPs from water and sediment and may be candidates for MP removal from contaminated aquatic environments.
Unraveling the toxic mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: A case study on Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum
Researchers exposed two submerged aquatic plant species (Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum) to PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations, finding that all three types significantly inhibited photosynthesis and growth and triggered oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic type and plant species.
Effects of biofouled plastics on phytoplankton community assembling and water chemistry: pilot study and implications for freshwater environments
Researchers conducted a pilot laboratory study exposing a five-species freshwater phytoplankton community to pristine and biofouled polypropylene fragments to investigate whether plastic acts as a carrier for algal species dispersal and to assess effects on water biodiversity and chemistry in freshwater environments.
Microplastics as habitat-dependent ecological filters: facilitating plant invasion in water while reinforcing biotic resistance on land
Researchers investigated whether microplastics act as context-dependent ecological filters that differently affect invasive and native plant species in aquatic versus terrestrial habitats. The study found that microplastics facilitated plant invasion in water while reinforcing biotic resistance on land, with effects varying by polymer type and particle size across polyethylene, nylon, and biodegradable PLA.
[Effects of Microplastics on the Growth and Physiology Characteristics of Ceratophyllum demersum and Hydrilla verticillata].
Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (100 micrometer, 50 and 100 mg/L) on growth and physiological characteristics of two submerged aquatic plants, Ceratophyllum demersum and Hydrilla verticillata, under single and mixed cultivation. The study found that microplastic exposure altered plant growth metrics and physiological parameters in a concentration- and polymer-type-dependent manner, informing understanding of microplastic ecological effects in aquatic vegetation.
[Effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on the growth, physiology, and biochemical characteristics of Hydrilla verticillata].
Researchers exposed an aquatic plant to increasing concentrations of polystyrene microplastics and found that high doses stunted plant height, reduced chlorophyll, and impaired photosynthesis. Submerged aquatic plants form the base of freshwater food webs, and their disruption by microplastic pollution could cascade through aquatic ecosystems.
Adsorption of different types of microplastic particles by macrophytes of Lake Baikal
Researchers experimentally investigated the adsorption of different microplastic particle types by submerged macrophyte species from Lake Baikal, finding that macrophytes can accumulate microplastics on their surfaces with implications for aquatic plant health and associated ecological communities in this unique ecosystem.
Adsorption of different types of microplastic particles by macrophytes of Lake Baikal
Researchers experimentally investigated the adsorption of different microplastic particle types by submerged macrophyte species from Lake Baikal, finding that macrophytes can accumulate microplastics on their surfaces with implications for aquatic plant health and associated ecological communities in this unique ecosystem.
Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Vegetation on the Physical Transport and Retention Pattern of Microplastics
Researchers conducted experimental flume studies to investigate how aquatic and riparian vegetation affects the physical transport and retention of microplastics in riverine environments. They found that vegetation significantly increases microplastic retention and alters spatial distribution patterns, suggesting that vegetated riparian zones act as important traps that influence microplastic flux to the ocean.
Microplastic interactions with freshwater microalgae: Hetero-aggregation and changes in plastic density appear strongly dependent on polymer type
Researchers studied interactions between microplastics and freshwater microalgae, finding that microplastics can physically attach to algal cells to form hetero-aggregates, altering both particle behavior and algal physiology.
Quantifying microplastic dispersion due to density effects
This laboratory study measured how different types of microplastics move through water based on their density, finding that denser plastics settle to the bottom in slow-moving water while lighter ones travel like dissolved particles. Understanding how microplastics spread in rivers is important because it helps predict where plastic contamination will accumulate and which water sources face the greatest risk of exposure.
Microplastics enhance the invasion of exotic submerged macrophytes by mediating plant functional traits, sediment properties, and microbial communities
This study found that polystyrene microplastics in water helped invasive aquatic plants grow stronger and spread more effectively, while native plants were not similarly boosted. The microplastics changed soil chemistry and disrupted bacterial communities in ways that specifically favored the invasive species. This research shows that microplastic pollution could accelerate the spread of invasive plants in lakes and rivers, further threatening aquatic ecosystem health.