Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Influence of soil microplastic contamination and cadmium toxicity on the growth, physiology, and root growth traits of Triticum aestivum L.

Researchers grew wheat plants in soil contaminated with polyethylene microplastics, the toxic heavy metal cadmium, or both, finding that combined exposure caused the worst damage — shrinking root area, reducing gas exchange in leaves, and lowering key growth indicators. These findings raise concerns about crop yields in farmland where plastic pollution and heavy metal contamination overlap, which is increasingly common.

2023 South African Journal of Botany 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive impacts of heat stress and microplastics contamination on the growth and biochemical response of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and maize (Zea mays) plants

Researchers investigated how heat stress combined with polyethylene microplastic contamination in soil affects wheat and maize growth. They found that the combination significantly reduced plant height, root length, leaf area, and chlorophyll content more than either stressor alone. The findings highlight that microplastic pollution in agricultural soils could worsen the damage already caused by rising temperatures to food crops.

2025 Ecotoxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The joint toxicity of polyethylene microplastic and phenanthrene to wheat seedlings

Researchers studied the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the pollutant phenanthrene on wheat seedlings grown in soil. They found that microplastics alone caused dose-dependent reductions in plant growth and damaged the photosynthetic system, while the combination with phenanthrene worsened the damage. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and organic pollutants in agricultural soils may create compounding negative effects on crop growth.

2021 Chemosphere 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and cadmium on the soil-wheat system as single and combined contaminants

Researchers found that polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics combined with cadmium reduced wheat chlorophyll concentrations and affected soil-plant systems differently depending on pollution levels, revealing complex interaction effects between co-contaminants.

2023 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene Microplastics and Cadmium: Unveiling the Key Impacts of Co-Pollution on Wheat–Soil Systems from Multiple Perspectives

Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics combined with cadmium co-pollution impaired wheat germination, reduced plant growth, and disrupted soil microbial communities more severely than either contaminant alone, demonstrating synergistic toxicity in an agriculturally important crop.

2025 Agronomy
Article Tier 2

Combined Impact of Canada Goldenrod Invasion and Soil Microplastic Contamination on Seed Germination and Root Development of Wheat: Evaluating the Legacy of Toxicity

Researchers studied the combined effects of invasive Canada goldenrod and microplastic contamination on wheat seed germination and root growth. They found that both stressors individually and together impaired wheat development, with their combined impact being particularly concerning for agricultural productivity. The study highlights how multiple environmental stressors can interact to compound threats to food crops.

2025 Plants 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Analyzing the impacts of cadmium alone and in co-existence with polypropylene microplastics on wheat growth

Researchers tested how cadmium and polypropylene microplastics individually and together affect wheat seedling growth, and found that their combined presence intensified negative effects on germination and early development. Cadmium alone inhibited root and shoot growth, and microplastics amplified this damage while also altering antioxidant enzyme activity in the plants. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of heavy metals and microplastics in agricultural soil may create compounding stress on crop health.

2023 Frontiers in Plant Science 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene nanoplastics, tebuconazole and cadmium affect soil-wheat system by altering rhizosphere microenvironment under single or combined exposure

This study examined how polyethylene nanoplastics interact with a pesticide and cadmium (a toxic metal) in soil where wheat is grown. When all three pollutants were present together, they caused more damage to the soil ecosystem and wheat plants than any single pollutant alone. The findings are concerning because agricultural soils often contain multiple contaminants simultaneously, and their combined effects on crop safety and human food quality may be worse than expected.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 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

Combined contamination of microplastic and antibiotic alters the composition of microbial community and metabolism in wheat and maize rhizosphere soil

A study found that when soil is contaminated with both microplastics and antibiotics together, the damage to wheat and maize seedlings is worse than from either contaminant alone, with increased root oxidative stress and disrupted soil bacterial communities. This combined contamination, common in agricultural soils treated with plastic mulch and livestock manure, could affect crop health and food quality.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Joint toxicity of cadmium (II) and microplastic leachates on wheat seed germination and seedling growth

Researchers investigated how cadmium and chemical compounds that leach from microplastics jointly affect wheat seed germination and seedling growth. They found that microplastic leachates from PVC and polyethylene can interact with cadmium in complex ways, sometimes worsening and sometimes lessening the toxic effects on young wheat plants. The study suggests that the combined presence of heavy metals and microplastics in agricultural soils could pose risks to crop development.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Different Microplastics on Wheat’s (Triticum aestivum L.) Growth Characteristics and Rhizosphere Soil Environment

Researchers exposed wheat plants to multiple types of microplastics — including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene — at different concentrations to compare their effects on plant growth and physiological parameters. Different polymer types caused varying degrees of growth inhibition and oxidative stress.

2024 Plants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Temperature fluctuation in soil alters the nanoplastic sensitivity in wheat

Researchers simulated +4°C soil warming combined with polystyrene nanoplastic exposure in wheat seedlings and found the combination induced greater oxidative stress and reduced plant height, fresh weight, and net photosynthesis compared to either stressor alone, highlighting compounding risks from simultaneous nanoplastic pollution and climate warming on crop production.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of co-presence of cadmium or procymidone with microplastic films in soil on lettuce growth

Pot experiments growing lettuce in soil contaminated with cadmium or the fungicide procymidone alongside LDPE or PVC microplastic films found that co-presence of microplastics with chemical contaminants produced subtle but measurable effects on plant growth. This matters because agricultural soils frequently contain both microplastics and chemical pollutants simultaneously, and their combined effects on food crops may differ from what single-contaminant studies would predict.

2023 Applied Biological Chemistry 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to microplastics and soil pollutants significantly exacerbates toxicity to crops: Insights from a global meta and machine-learning analysis

A large-scale analysis of 68 studies found that when microplastics combine with other soil pollutants, the harm to crops is significantly worse than from the other pollutants alone. Microplastics intensified damage to plant growth, increased oxidative stress, and reduced photosynthesis efficiency. Interestingly, microplastics did reduce the amount of other pollutants that accumulated in the crops, but the overall toxic effects on plant health were still greater.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Interacting Effects of Heat and Nanoplastics Affect Wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) Seedling Growth and Physiology

Researchers exposed wheat seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics under both normal (25°C) and elevated (35°C) temperature conditions to test whether heat stress and nanoplastic exposure interact to worsen plant health. They found that the combination of heat and nanoplastics caused greater oxidative stress and growth impairment than either stressor alone, suggesting that climate change could amplify the agricultural damage caused by nanoplastic pollution. This matters because global warming and plastic pollution are both worsening simultaneously, and crops are caught in the crossfire.

2025 Plants 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of multiple microplastic types on growth of winter wheat and soil properties vary in different agricultural soils

Researchers tested the effects of ten different types of microplastics, applied individually and in combinations, on winter wheat growth across three agricultural soil types. They found that the same microplastic type could have drastically different effects depending on the soil, and that combined microplastic mixtures did not simply add up to the sum of individual effects. The study highlights the importance of considering both soil type and microplastic mixture composition when assessing agricultural impacts.

2024 Plants People Planet 12 citations
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

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings performance mainly affected by soil nitrate nitrogen under the stress of polyvinyl chloride microplastics

Researchers evaluated the effects of polyvinyl chloride microplastics on wheat seedling growth and soil properties. They found that microplastics significantly reduced shoot biomass and soil nitrate nitrogen levels, suggesting that disrupted nitrogen availability may be the primary mechanism affecting plant growth. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could impair crop development by altering soil nutrient dynamics.

2024 Scientific Reports 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of accumulation and multilevel biological effects of various alkyl chain phthalates and microplastics in rye: New insights into individual, physiological, and molecular perspectives

Researchers studied the combined toxicity of three phthalate esters with different alkyl chain lengths and polystyrene microplastics on rye plants, finding that MP presence amplified the phytotoxicity of longer-chain phthalates. The results demonstrate that microplastics can act as carriers that enhance the uptake and toxicity of co-occurring chemical contaminants in crops.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the intricate relationship between plant nutrients and microplastics in agroecosystems

A study of wheat grown in soils with varying microplastic levels found complex interactions between MPs and plant macronutrients and micronutrients, with MPs altering nutrient uptake in ways that could affect crop productivity in contaminated agricultural soils.

2023 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic contamination mixed with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Alleviation on gas exchange, water management, chlorophyll fluorescence and antioxidant capacity in wheat

Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on wheat plants, finding that co-contamination disrupted gas exchange, water management, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant capacity more than either pollutant alone.

2022 Environmental Pollution 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological Impacts of Microplastics and Cadmium Pollution on Wheat Seedlings

Researchers investigated the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on wheat seedlings and found that microplastics generally reduced the antioxidant enzyme response that cadmium alone would trigger. The study also found that microplastics altered cadmium bioaccumulation patterns, increasing cadmium uptake in roots at low concentrations but decreasing it at higher levels, suggesting complex interactions between these co-occurring pollutants.

2026 Nanomaterials
Article Tier 2

Macro- and micro- plastics in soil-plant system: Effects of plastic mulch film residues on wheat (Triticum aestivum) growth

Researchers studied how plastic mulch film residues, both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable types, affect wheat growth when mixed into soil. They found that both macro- and micro-sized plastic residues negatively impacted plant growth above and below ground, with effects varying depending on the plastic type and the presence of earthworms. The study highlights that agricultural plastic residues left in soil can meaningfully affect crop development and soil ecosystem health.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 1129 citations