Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on the soil-plant system: Phytotoxicity, Cd accumulation and microbial activity

Researchers tested how different microplastic types combined with cadmium affect plant growth and soil health. Aged and biodegradable microplastics increased cadmium uptake in mustard greens more than fresh conventional plastics did. The study also found that microplastics altered soil microbial activity, suggesting that plastic pollution in farmland could change how plants absorb toxic metals from contaminated soil.

2023 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic dilemma: Assessing the unexpected trade-offs between biodegradable and non-biodegradable forms on plant health, cadmium uptake, and sediment microbial ecology

This study compared the environmental effects of biodegradable and conventional plastic microplastics in contaminated sediments, finding that biodegradable plastics actually caused more oxidative stress and greater changes to soil bacteria than conventional plastics. Both types helped plant roots absorb more of the toxic metal cadmium. The surprising finding that biodegradable plastics may pose higher ecological risks challenges the assumption that they are always a safer alternative.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and their combination with cadmium on Pinus massoniana are dependent on the type of microplastics

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics, alone and combined with cadmium, affect the growth of Masson pine trees. The study found that the effects on tree growth depend significantly on the type of microplastic, suggesting that biodegradable plastics may not necessarily be less harmful to plants than conventional plastics when co-contaminated with heavy metals.

2025 Trees Forests and People 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Co-Contamination of Microplastics and Cd on Plant Growth and Cd Accumulation

Researchers investigated how two types of microplastics, high-density polyethylene and polystyrene, at various concentrations affect cadmium uptake and toxicity in maize plants grown in agricultural soil. The study found that while polyethylene alone had no significant effect, polystyrene at higher doses altered cadmium accumulation patterns, suggesting that different plastic types may interact differently with heavy metals in soil.

2020 Toxics 239 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on cadmium accumulation by rice and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in cadmium-contaminated soil

Researchers studied how three types of microplastics interact with cadmium contamination in rice paddies, examining effects on plant growth, metal uptake, and soil fungal communities. They found that while microplastics generally increased cadmium availability in soil, they actually decreased cadmium accumulation in rice tissues. Notably, biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics caused more harm to plant growth and soil communities than conventional plastic types, challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 171 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter cadmium accumulation in different soil-plant systems: Revealing the crucial roles of soil bacteria and metabolism

A study found that microplastics in soil can change how much cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, is absorbed by food crops, with the effects varying depending on soil type and the amount of plastic present. By altering soil chemistry and bacterial communities, microplastics reshape how pollutants move through farmland and into the food we eat.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics on plant growth and bacterial community in the soil

Researchers compared the effects of regular polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on soybean growth and soil bacteria. Surprisingly, the biodegradable microplastics caused more harm than conventional ones, significantly reducing root growth and altering soil bacterial communities important for nitrogen fixation. This finding challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for the environment and raises questions about their impact on food crops.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 257 citations
Article Tier 2

The Hidden Crisisof Biodegradable Plastics: PolylacticAcid Microplastics Increase Soil Cd and Pb Bioavailability and AssociatedHuman Health Risks

Researchers conducted a pot experiment to assess how polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics affect the soil availability and plant uptake of cadmium and lead in co-contaminated agricultural soils. PLA microplastics increased the bioavailability of both heavy metals, raising human health risks from crops grown in PLA-contaminated soils.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the impacts of biodegradable microplastics on cadmium toxicity, translocation, transformation, and metabolome in lettuce

Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics interact with cadmium contamination in lettuce and found that the combination worsened the toxic effects on plant growth compared to cadmium alone. The biodegradable plastics increased cadmium accumulation in the edible parts of the lettuce and altered how the metal was distributed within plant cells. The findings raise concerns about using biodegradable plastic mulch in soils already contaminated with heavy metals, as it may increase the amount of toxic metals that end up in food crops.

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

Interactions of microplastics and cadmium on plant growth and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in an agricultural soil

Researchers studied how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics interact with cadmium contamination to affect maize growth and beneficial soil fungi in agricultural soil. While polyethylene showed minimal direct plant toxicity, high doses of polylactic acid significantly reduced maize biomass, and both plastic types altered the communities of root-associated fungi. The study suggests that co-contamination of microplastics and heavy metals in farmland can jointly disrupt plant health and soil ecosystems.

2020 Chemosphere 643 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of biodegradable microplastics and Cd co-pollution on Cd bioavailability and plastisphere in soil-plant system

Researchers examined how biodegradable microplastics interact with cadmium contamination in agricultural soil where lettuce is grown. They found that the biodegradable plastics indirectly increased cadmium availability to plants by lowering soil pH and changing soil chemistry. The study suggests that even eco-friendly biodegradable plastics may worsen heavy metal contamination risks in farming soils.

2024 Chemosphere 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential Impacts of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Cadmium Transfer in a Soil-Earthworm-Lettuce System

Researchers compared how conventional and biodegradable microplastics affect cadmium transfer through a soil-earthworm-lettuce system. They found that high doses of conventional microplastics increased cadmium concentrations in lettuce shoots by 54 percent and in earthworms by 80 percent, while biodegradable microplastics actually decreased shoot cadmium by 30 percent. The study suggests that different types of microplastics have opposing effects on heavy metal contamination in the food chain.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable microplastics adsorb more Cd than conventional microplastic and biofilms enhance their adsorption

Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional polyethylene microplastics adsorb the heavy metal cadmium, with and without biofilm development from outdoor weathering. They found that pristine PLA adsorbed significantly more cadmium than pristine PE, and that biofilms forming on weathered plastics were responsible for most of the increased cadmium uptake. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics in agricultural soils may pose a greater risk for heavy metal transport than conventional plastics.

2025 Chemosphere 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Discrepant soil microbial community and C cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics

Scientists compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect soil microbial communities and carbon cycling. Researchers found that the two types of microplastics had markedly different effects, with biodegradable plastics causing more changes to microbial community structure and carbon-related gene activity. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics, while designed to be more environmentally friendly, may still significantly alter soil biology.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and metals: Microplastics generated from biodegradable polylactic acid mulch reduce bioaccumulation of cadmium in earthworms compared to those generated from polyethylene

Researchers compared how microplastics from biodegradable (PLA) and conventional (polyethylene) plastic mulch interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in soil with earthworms. PLA microplastics absorbed much more cadmium than polyethylene, reducing the amount of this toxic metal available to earthworms. While this suggests biodegradable plastics may offer some protection against heavy metal exposure in contaminated soils, both types still contribute to microplastic pollution.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Naturally aged polylactic acid microplastics stunted pakchoi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) growth with cadmium in soil

Researchers investigated the combined effects of naturally aged polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics and cadmium on pakchoi growth in soil. The study found that aged PLA microplastics were more detrimental than virgin ones, and the combination with cadmium further stunted plant growth and disrupted antioxidant systems and soil microbial activities.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and cadmium co-contamination on soil properties, maize (Zea mays L.) growth characteristics, and cadmium accumulation in maize in loessial soil-maize systems

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on soil properties and maize growth through pot experiments. They found that microplastics altered soil nutrient availability and, depending on size and concentration, either increased or decreased cadmium uptake by the plants. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can change how crops absorb toxic heavy metals, with potential implications for food safety.

2024 Environmental Pollution 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable microplastics impact the uptake of Cd in rice: The roles of niche breadth and assembly process

Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics differentially affected cadmium uptake in rice plants, with polypropylene carbonate reducing cadmium accumulation while polylactic acid increased it, driven by changes in soil microbial community assembly and niche breadth.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different microplastics on the physicochemical properties and microbial diversity of rice rhizosphere soil

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics, both fresh and aged, affect rice paddy soil properties and microbial communities. They found that aged microplastics had stronger effects than fresh ones, altering soil pH, nutrient availability, and the composition of root-associated bacteria. The study warns that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for soil health than conventional plastics, especially as they break down over time.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The Hidden Crisis of Biodegradable Plastics: Polylactic Acid Microplastics Increase Soil Cd and Pb Bioavailability and Associated Human Health Risks

Researchers found that biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, often marketed as eco-friendly alternatives, significantly increased the availability of toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead in agricultural soil. The PLA particles altered soil chemistry and microbial communities, leading to greater heavy metal uptake by lettuce and substantially increased health risks for humans consuming the crops.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential Impactsof Conventional and BiodegradableMicroplastics on Cadmium Transfer in a Soil-Earthworm-Lettuce System

A microcosm experiment tested how conventional and biodegradable microplastics affected cadmium transfer in a soil-earthworm-lettuce system. High doses of conventional MPs increased cadmium in plant shoots by 54% and in earthworms by 80%, while biodegradable MPs had less effect, suggesting polymer type matters for metal contamination risk in agroecosystems.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics increase cadmium uptake in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by altering the soil microenvironment

This study found that polyethylene microplastics in soil increased the amount of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, that lettuce plants absorbed. The microplastics changed soil chemistry by lowering pH and increasing dissolved organic carbon, which made cadmium more available for plant uptake. This is concerning because it suggests that microplastics in agricultural soil could make crops more contaminated with heavy metals, increasing the health risks for people who eat them.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 273 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Growth of Wheat Seedlings in Biochar Remediation of Cd‐Contaminated Soil

Researchers conducted a pot experiment examining how biodegradable PLA and non-biodegradable PA6 microplastics affect wheat seedling growth in cadmium-contaminated soil amended with biochar. The study found that the presence of microplastics influenced the effectiveness of biochar in promoting plant growth under cadmium stress, with differential effects depending on plastic type.

2025 Land Degradation and Development
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