Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Investigating the Impact of Microplastics Type of Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polystyrene on Seed Germination and Early Growth of Rice Plants

Researchers investigated how three common types of microplastics, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, affect rice seed germination and early seedling growth. They found that microplastic exposure altered root development and shoot growth, with the effects varying by polymer type. The study raises concerns about how microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils could affect staple crop establishment and food production.

2024 Environmental Quality Management 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the detrimental effects of polylactic acid microplastics on rice seedlings and soil health

Researchers found that even biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics significantly harmed rice plants at high concentrations, reducing root and shoot weight by roughly half and disrupting photosynthesis, while also altering soil enzyme activity and bacterial communities. These findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are harmless to agriculture and raise questions about their impact on food crops that humans depend on.

2024 Chemosphere 41 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Effect of High-Density Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride and Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastics on Seeding of Paddy

This study tested how three common types of plastic microparticles affect rice seedling growth, finding that they can interfere with early plant development. The results matter for food safety because rice is a staple crop for billions of people, and microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop yields and potentially introduce plastic particles into the food supply.

2024 Sarhad Journal of Agriculture 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on the Mineral Elements Absorption and Accumulation in Hydroponic Rice Seedlings (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers exposed rice seedlings to different concentrations of polyethylene microplastics in hydroponic conditions and measured the effects on mineral nutrient absorption. They found that while microplastics did not affect shoot growth, they significantly altered the uptake and distribution of essential mineral elements in the plants. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural settings could disrupt crop nutrition even without visible growth impacts.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics from polyethylene and biodegradable mulch films on rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers studied how microplastics from both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable mulch films affect rice growth. Both types of microplastics reduced plant height and weight, caused oxidative stress, inhibited photosynthesis, and altered gene expression related to nutrient uptake. This study is important because it shows that even biodegradable plastics can harm food crops, raising concerns about the quality and safety of rice grown in microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 200 citations
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

Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics on Rice Seed Germination and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity

Researchers tested how different concentrations of polystyrene microplastics affect rice seed germination, root growth, and antioxidant enzyme activity. They found that at higher concentrations, the microplastics inhibited root growth and triggered oxidative stress responses in the seedlings. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could interfere with early crop development, potentially affecting food production.

2021 Toxics 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on the quality of rice grains and the metabolism mechanism

Researchers found that tiny polystyrene plastic particles (under 100 nanometers) were absorbed by rice roots and traveled up into the grain, reducing protein content by up to 29%. The smallest particles weakened the plant's natural defenses by disrupting sugar metabolism. This means microplastics in soil could be silently lowering the nutritional quality of rice that people eat.

2025 Environmental Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Life-long impacts of nanoplastics to rice plant (Oryza sativa L.): Decreased grain yield with perturbed metallome and soil microbiome

Researchers studied how nano-sized PET plastic particles affect rice plants throughout their entire life cycle at concentrations found in real-world environments. They found that nanoplastic exposure reduced grain quality and yield, disrupted mineral nutrient balance, and significantly altered the soil microbial community. The study highlights a potential threat to global food security, since rice is a staple food for billions of people.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

The effect of microplastic pollution on rice growth, paddy soil properties, and greenhouse gas emissions: A global meta-analysis

This global meta-analysis of 40 studies found that microplastics reduce rice biomass by inducing oxidative stress and inhibiting photosynthesis, while depleting soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon. Microplastics also stimulate nitrous oxide emissions from paddy soils, posing a dual threat to food security and climate through impaired rice production and increased greenhouse gas output.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the effects of polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations on the plant-soil-microbiota system: A two-year field trial

Researchers conducted a two-year field trial to study how polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations affect crops, soil, and microbial communities in a rice-wheat rotation system. They found that microplastics did not harm wheat growth but actually increased rice grain weight and plant height, while reducing soil nutrient levels including nitrogen and phosphorus. The study reveals that microplastics can alter soil bacterial communities and disrupt metabolic processes in ways that differ between crop seasons.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

PET Microparticles Has Severe Toxic Effects to Arabidopsis thaliana in Hydroponic Cultivation

Researchers exposed Arabidopsis thaliana, peas, and maize to PET microparticles in hydroponic cultivation, finding that bacteria-sized PET particles caused severe toxic effects on plant growth, providing evidence that microplastic contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural crops even in the absence of soil or soil microbiota interactions.

2022 Proceedings of the World Congress on New Technologies
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Effects of microplastics polluted soil on the growth of Solanum lycopersicum L.

This study tested how microplastic-contaminated soil affects tomato plant growth, finding that higher concentrations of plastic particles in soil reduced plant height, root development, and overall crop health. The results suggest that microplastic pollution in farmland could reduce food crop yields and potentially affect the quality of the produce we eat.

2024 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH 8 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

Rhizosphere nutrient dynamics and physiological responses of Oryza sativa L. under polyethylene terephthalate microplastic stress

Researchers exposed rice (Oryza sativa) to PET microplastics and found that the particles were absorbed by roots and translocated to aerial tissues, significantly inhibiting chlorophyll production, inducing oxidative stress (with malondialdehyde increasing by 175% at higher doses), and disrupting nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus cycling genes in the rhizosphere.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Article Tier 2

Fate of nano/microplastics and associated toxic pollutants in paddy ecosystems: Current knowledge and future perspectives

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics enter rice paddies through irrigation, mulch films, and atmospheric deposition, then harm soil health and rice plant growth by disrupting nutrient cycles and increasing oxidative stress. Their findings are especially significant because rice feeds more than half the world's population, yet research on plastic contamination in paddy systems remains very limited.

2024 Earth Critical Zone 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics aplenty in paddy lands: incidence of microplastics in Indian rice fields and ecotoxicity on paddy field phytoplankton

Researchers found microplastic contamination in the surface water of rice paddy fields in Kerala, India, with polyethylene and polypropylene fragments being the most common types. Microplastic levels were three times higher during the planting phase than near harvest, and the plastics affected the growth of tiny organisms that naturally live in rice paddies. These findings are concerning because rice is a dietary staple, and microplastics in rice paddies could potentially enter the food supply.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Low-density Polyethylene Microplastics on the Growth and Physiology Characteristics of Ipomoea aquatica Forsk].

Researchers grew water spinach in soil spiked with low-density polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations and found that even moderate doses reduced germination rates, stunted growth, and disrupted photosynthesis. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could threaten food crop yields and quality.

2023 PubMed 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene microplastics on Brassica rapa: Toxicity mechanism investigation

Researchers exposed the fast-growing plant Brassica rapa (related to turnip and cabbage) to polyethylene microplastics that had been degraded by sunlight, finding that the plastics stunted plant growth by up to 51% and triggered cellular stress responses. Genetic analysis revealed the microplastics disrupted the plant's immune and growth pathways, providing insight into how plastic pollution in agricultural soil could affect food crops.

2024 Emerging contaminants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of biofilms on polylactic acid microplastics and their inhibitory effects on the growth of rice seedlings: A comparative study of petroleum-based microplastics

Researchers compared the effects of bio-based polylactic acid microplastics to conventional petroleum-based microplastics on rice seedling growth. They found that the bio-based particles actually caused more harm, attracting microorganisms that competed with the seedlings for nutrients and disrupting chlorophyll production. The study suggests that switching to bio-based plastics may not eliminate the agricultural risks posed by microplastic pollution.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake and translocation of nano/microplastics by rice seedlings: Evidence from a hydroponic experiment

In a hydroponic experiment, researchers showed that both nano-sized (80 nm) and micro-sized (1 micrometer) polystyrene particles were absorbed by rice plant roots and transported up into stems and leaves. The particles traveled through the plant's vascular system and accumulated in cell walls and between cells. This finding is concerning because it demonstrates that microplastics in soil and water can enter food crops like rice and potentially reach people through their diet.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 366 citations
Article Tier 2

From biodegradation to biohazard: Polylactic acid microplastics induced rice growth inhibition in agroecosystems

Researchers tested the effects of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, a type marketed as biodegradable, on rice growth in soil. They found that PLA microplastics inhibited rice development by reducing nitrogen availability, disrupting root bacteria, and releasing potentially harmful breakdown products. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be as environmentally safe as assumed, particularly in agricultural settings.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 4 citations
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

Effect of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics on radish and carrot growth, nutrient uptake, and physiological stress responses

Researchers exposed radish and carrot seedlings to PET microplastics (0.1 g/L) for one week and measured growth, nutrient uptake, and stress markers. While plant biomass was unaffected, chlorophyll levels dropped and oxidative stress indicators rose significantly, showing physiological harm even without visible growth effects.

2025 Applied Biological Chemistry