Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Compound effect and mechanism of oxidative damage induced by nanoplastics and benzo [a] pyrene

Researchers examined how polystyrene nanoplastics and a common environmental pollutant called benzo[a]pyrene work together to cause oxidative damage in earthworm cells. They found that the two contaminants had a synergistic toxic effect, with combined exposure producing significantly higher levels of cell-damaging reactive oxygen species than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that nanoplastics may enhance the harmful effects of other soil pollutants by altering how they interact with living cells.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 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

Synergistic Uptake of Nanoplastics and Sodium Chloride in Tall Fescue Roots Mediated by Cell Wall Architecture

Researchers found that combining nanoplastic exposure with salt stress in tall fescue grass produced synergistic harmful effects far exceeding those of either stressor alone, reducing shoot length by 93% and root length by 79%. Charge-mediated interactions between nanoplastics and sodium ions enhanced the uptake of both contaminants into plant tissues. Nanoplastics altered genes related to cell wall structure and membrane permeability, compromising the plant's ability to tolerate salt stress in saline-alkali soils.

2026 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Revealing the metabolomics and biometrics underlying phytotoxicity mechanisms for polystyrene nanoplastics and dibutyl phthalate in dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and a common plasticizer called dibutyl phthalate affect dandelion plants, both individually and in combination. They found that combined exposure significantly impaired plant growth, triggered oxidative stress, and disrupted key metabolic pathways more severely than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and plastic additives in soil may pose compounding risks to plant health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Amplification of benzo[a]pyrene toxicity persistence in earthworms by polystyrene nanoplastics: From organismal health to molecular responses

This study found that nanoplastics can make a common cancer-causing pollutant (benzo[a]pyrene) more persistent and toxic in soil. Earthworms exposed to the pollutant carried on nanoplastics showed greater oxidative damage than those exposed to the pollutant alone. This matters because nanoplastics in the environment may act as carriers that amplify the harmful effects of other toxic chemicals.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The response of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa L.) to the co-contamination of nanoplastics with different polarity and Ketoprofen

Researchers grew Chinese cabbage in soil contaminated with polyethylene and polypropylene nanoparticles alone and in combination with the pharmaceutical ketoprofen. Both nanoparticle types reduced plant biomass and caused oxidative stress, with polypropylene being more toxic because it translocated from roots to aerial parts, and the combination with ketoprofen intensified all harmful effects.

2025 Environmental Technology & Innovation
Article Tier 2

Can RhizosphereEffects Mitigate the Threat from Nanoplasticsand Plastic Additives to Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)?

Researchers used a root-box system to examine how nanoplastics and the plasticizer DEHP interact in the rhizosphere of tomato plants, finding that DEHP dominated the plastic pollution risk to plants and that nanoplastic co-exposure did not mitigate DEHP toxicity to soil microorganisms but increased it for food safety.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic–plant interaction and implications for soil health

This review summarizes research on how nanoplastics interact with plants in soil environments, finding that these tiny particles can be taken up by roots and transported to all plant organs, including edible parts like grain. Researchers found that nanoplastics induce oxidative stress in plants, inhibiting photosynthesis and growth, and can also carry other soil pollutants into plant tissues. The study highlights significant concerns about nanoplastic contamination entering the food chain through agricultural crops.

2022 Soil Use and Management 46 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2026 Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
Article Tier 2

Can Rhizosphere Effects Mitigate the Threat from Nanoplastics and Plastic Additives to Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)?

Researchers investigated whether the rhizosphere, the zone of soil around plant roots, can mitigate the combined threats of nanoplastics and the plastic additive DEHP to tomato plants. The study found that while the rhizosphere provided some protective effects against soil contamination, the coexistence of nanoplastics and DEHP actually increased risks to food safety compared to DEHP alone, indicating that plastic pollution compounds the threat from plastic additives.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the soil-plant nexus: Sources, uptake, and toxicity

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from plastic products and affect the soil-plant system. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be taken up by plant roots, cause oxidative stress, and negatively affect crop growth. The findings raise concerns about food safety since these particles may carry co-contaminants into the food chain.

2023 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 51 citations
Article Tier 2

The individual and combined effects of polystyrene and silver nanoparticles on nitrogen transformation and bacterial communities in an agricultural soil

Researchers ran a 45-day soil experiment combining polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics with silver nanoparticles, finding that the silver nanoparticles dominated nitrogen cycle disruption while polystyrene nanoplastics partially offset this by upregulating anammox genes — with particle size proving a critical variable in predicting combined ecological risk.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Heavy Metals and Polystyrene Microplastics on the Bacterial Communities in Rhizosphere and Bulk Soil and the Physiological Health of Allium fistulosum

Researchers examined the combined effects of heavy metals and polystyrene microplastics of three sizes on soil bacterial communities and the physiology of Allium fistulosum (bunching onion) in contaminated soils from Tongling, China. The combination altered soil physicochemical properties, shifted bacterial diversity, and negatively affected plant physiological health, with effects varying by particle size.

2025
Article Tier 2

Phytotoxic Effects of Polystyrene and Polymethyl Methacrylate Microplastics on Allium cepa Roots

Researchers exposed onion roots to polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics at various concentrations and observed toxic effects on root growth and cellular health. Both types of microplastics caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disrupted cell division in the root tips. The study provides evidence that common plastic particles in soil can directly harm plant root development at the cellular level.

2023 Plants 30 citations
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

Impacts of Micro/Nanoplastics on Crop Physiology and Soil Ecosystems: A Review

This review synthesized evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics affect crop physiology and soil ecosystems, covering how plastic particles enter plants via roots, disrupt soil microbiota, and impair crop growth through oxidative stress, nutrient cycling disruption, and physical root interference. The authors found that nanoplastics pose greater plant risks than microplastics due to their ability to cross cell membranes.

2025 Soil Systems
Article Tier 2

Particulate plastics-plant interaction in soil and its implications: A review

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics in soil interact with plants, including uptake through roots, accumulation in plant tissues, and effects on growth, nutrient absorption, and soil microbial communities. The study highlights that these plastic particles can alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that affect crop development, raising concerns about food safety and agricultural productivity.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and lead co-exposure triggered cellular cytotoxicity responses and underlying mechanisms in Eisenia fetida

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and lead, a toxic heavy metal, interact when earthworm immune cells are exposed to both simultaneously at environmentally realistic concentrations. The combined exposure caused more severe cell damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can increase the harmful effects of heavy metals on soil organisms, raising concerns about the real-world impact of mixed contaminant exposure.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

New regulatory mechanisms of polystyrene nanoplastics on the ecological risk of zinc: Cellular oxidative injury and molecular toxicity mechanisms in soil sentinel organisms (Eisenia fetida)

Researchers investigated how nanoplastics and zinc interact to affect earthworm cells and a key antioxidant defense enzyme. While nanoplastics alone had minimal effect, combining them with zinc dramatically increased cell death beyond what zinc caused on its own, and molecular modeling showed nanoplastics can physically bind to and potentially block the antioxidant enzyme. The findings suggest that nanoplastics may worsen the toxicity of heavy metals in soil by interfering with organisms' natural defense mechanisms.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics distinctly impact cadmium uptake and toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana

In a study using the model plant Arabidopsis, polystyrene nanoplastics increased the uptake and accumulation of the toxic heavy metal cadmium in plant roots. The combined stress of nanoplastics and cadmium caused worse oxidative damage and growth problems than either pollutant alone. This is concerning because it means microplastics in agricultural soil could help toxic metals get into crops more easily, potentially increasing human exposure through food.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Are nanoplastics potentially toxic for plants and rhizobiota? Current knowledge and recommendations

This review evaluates whether nanoplastics — the smallest plastic fragments, formed as larger plastics break down — are toxic to plants and the microorganisms living around their roots (rhizobiota). The evidence suggests nanoplastics can directly impair plant growth and indirectly harm soil biology by altering soil chemistry and releasing associated contaminants. Because soil is becoming a major reservoir for plastic pollution, understanding these effects is critical for global food security and soil ecosystem health.

2023 NanoImpact 11 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

Phytotoxicity of binary nanoparticles and humic acid on Lactuca sativa L.

Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to aggravate the toxic effects of iron oxide nanoparticles on lettuce by inducing oxidative stress and root deformation, demonstrating synergistic phytotoxicity when two nanomaterial pollutants co-occur in soil.

2022 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 9 citations