Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Accumulation of As, Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn by Native Plants Growing in Soils Contaminated by Mining Environmental Liabilities in the Peruvian Andes

Researchers tested native Andean plants growing in mining-contaminated soils for their ability to absorb heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and copper, finding that different plants accumulate different metals in their roots, stems, and leaves. This phytoremediation research is relevant to understanding how contaminated soils near plastic production and waste sites might be cleaned up.

2021 Plants 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in a Soil–Plant System from an Open Dumpsite and the Associated Health Risks through Multiple Routes

Researchers studied heavy metal contamination in soil and plants at a municipal waste dump site, screening native plant species for their ability to absorb and accumulate metals. They found that certain plants showed strong potential as hyperaccumulators that could be used for bioremediation of contaminated land. The study also assessed health risks to nearby populations from exposure through ingestion, skin contact, and inhalation of contaminated soil and plant material.

2022 Sustainability 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Principles and Applicability of Integrated Remediation Strategies for Heavy Metal Removal/Recovery from Contaminated Environments

Researchers reviewed strategies for removing heavy metals from contaminated agricultural soils, focusing on how chelating agents — chemicals that bind to metals — combined with beneficial bacteria can help plants absorb and neutralize metals without harming plant growth, offering cleaner soils for safer food production.

2022 Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing the Phytoextraction of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn by Portulaca oleracea in a Heavily Contaminated Soil Using Low Molecular Weight Organic Substances: Is Phytoremediation Viable?

This paper is not about microplastics. It tested whether adding chelating agents like EDTA to heavily contaminated soil could help purslane plants extract more lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc from the ground. While the researchers found that EDTA significantly increased metal uptake by plants, they concluded that phytoremediation is not practical for extremely contaminated soils due to the time required.

2024 Earth Systems and Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Different Soil-Crop Systems and Ecological Risk Assessment: A Case Study of Jiao River Basin

Researchers assessed heavy metal accumulation in four crops (wheat, corn, potatoes, and leeks) and soils from the Jiao River Basin, evaluating ecological risk from eight heavy metals including copper, lead, cadmium, and arsenic. The study found that cadmium and arsenic posed the highest ecological risks, with crop type influencing heavy metal uptake patterns.

2023 Agronomy 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the Phytoremediation Potential of the Sinapis alba Plant Using Extractable Metal Concentrations

This study evaluated the ability of white mustard (Sinapis alba) plants to extract heavy metals from contaminated soil through phytoremediation. Microplastics in soil can alter heavy metal availability, and plant-based remediation strategies may need to account for both types of contamination together.

2023 Plants 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytomanagement of Metal(loid)-Contaminated Soils: Options, Efficiency and Value

This review examines phytomanagement as a nature-based approach for recovering soils contaminated with metals and metalloids. Researchers found that using plants and associated microorganisms, combined with appropriate site management, can effectively restore soil ecological functions while providing economic value through biomass production. The study suggests that phytomanagement offers a sustainable alternative to conventional soil remediation techniques for large contaminated areas.

2021 Frontiers in Environmental Science 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytoremediation potential of native plants: Biomonitoring approach in contaminated soils

Researchers investigated the phytoremediation potential of native plants Bassia indica and Chenopodium album in soils near an industrial complex in southern Tunisia, measuring cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, and fluorine concentrations in soil and plant tissues to evaluate bioaccumulation and tolerance without visible toxic symptoms.

2023 Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by Suaeda salsa in the Tidal Flat of the Liaohe Estuary

This study measured how a salt marsh plant species accumulates heavy metals in the Liaohe Estuary, finding it can extract metals from contaminated tidal flat soils, making it useful for ecological restoration of polluted coastal areas.

2022 Separations 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on bioaccumulation of heavy metals in rape (Brassica napus L.)

Researchers found that microplastics influenced the bioaccumulation of copper and lead in rapeseed plants, with effects varying by microplastic concentration and heavy metal type, revealing how plastic pollution may alter contaminant uptake in crops.

2021 Chemosphere 165 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban mining: Phytoextraction of noble and rare earth elements from urban soils

This review examines phytomining as a technology for recovering platinum group elements and rare earth metals from roadside soils contaminated by vehicle exhaust, catalytic converter wear, and road infrastructure. The authors synthesize research on metal accumulation sources, quantities, and plant species suitable for phytoextraction, presenting phytomining as a novel approach to urban resource recovery.

2023 Archives of Environmental Protection 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Aquatic Plants in phytoremediation of contaminated water: Recent knowledge and future prospects

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews phytoremediation — the use of aquatic plants to remove heavy metals from contaminated water — covering sources of heavy metal pollution, remediation techniques, and factors affecting plant uptake efficiency.

2023 Journal Of Advanced Zoology
Article Tier 2

The impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic bacteria on peanuts under the combined pollution of cadmium and microplastics

Researchers tested whether beneficial soil fungi and bacteria could help peanut plants cope with combined contamination from cadmium and microplastics. They found that the microbial treatment effectively trapped cadmium in the plant roots, preventing it from moving into the shoots and edible parts. The study suggests that harnessing natural soil microbes could be a practical strategy for growing safer food in polluted farmland.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 32 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastics-Plants on the Bioavailability of Copper and Zinc in the Soil of a Sewage Irrigation Area

Researchers examined how different concentrations of microplastics affect the bioavailability of copper and zinc in sewage-irrigated soils, finding that microplastics can alter heavy metal mobility and plant uptake, with implications for food safety in contaminated agricultural areas.

2023 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Appraisal of Heavy Metals Accumulation, Physiological Response, and Human Health Risks of Five Crop Species Grown at Various Distances from Traffic Highway

Researchers examined heavy metal accumulation in five crop species grown at various distances from a traffic highway, finding that proximity to roads significantly increased metal contamination in crops and posed potential health risks through the food chain.

2022 Sustainability 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Use of Parthenium hysterophorus with synthetic chelator for enhanced uptake of cadmium and lead from contaminated soils—a step toward better public health

Researchers demonstrated that the invasive weed Parthenium hysterophorus can extract cadmium and lead from contaminated soils, with EDTA chelator boosting metal uptake capacity, offering a phytoremediation approach to improve public health.

2022 Frontiers in Public Health 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Phytoremediation of Hazardous Substances using Plants: A Tool for Soil Reclamation and Sustainability

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of phytoremediation techniques for soil reclamation and removal of hazardous contaminants from polluted sites, examining the current state of knowledge across different plant-based remediation approaches. The study evaluates the effectiveness of various phytoremediation strategies and identifies future research directions for improving soil sustainability.

2023 AgroEnvironmental Sustainability 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Mediated Heavy Metal Uptake in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.): Implications for Food Safety and Agricultural Sustainability

Researchers grew lettuce in contaminated soil mixed with different types of microplastics, including fibers, glitter, and fragments from bags and bottles. They found that microplastics altered how heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and copper moved through the soil and into the plants, sometimes increasing uptake of toxic metals in roots while decreasing others in leaves. The results raise concerns about food safety in agricultural areas where both microplastic and heavy metal contamination overlap.

2025 Molecules 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of soil amendments to reduce the transfer of trace metal elements from contaminated soils of Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) to vegetables

This paper is not about microplastics; it studies whether organic soil amendments can reduce the transfer of heavy metals like copper, cobalt, and lead from mine-contaminated soils to vegetables in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MICROPLASTICS ON PHYTOREMEDIATION OF Cu, Mn and Sr  FROM SERBIAN URBAN SOILS

Researchers investigated the prevalence of microplastics in soils from four Serbian cities and evaluated how microplastic contamination affects the uptake of copper, manganese, and strontium by the bioindicator plant Capsella bursa-pastoris, assessing implications for phytoremediation of urban contaminated soils.

2025 Metallurgical & Materials Engineering Congress of South-East Europe
Article Tier 2

Employing Phytoremediation Methods to Extract Heavy Metals from Polluted Soils

This paper is not directly about microplastics in the typical environmental exposure sense; it studies phytoremediation — using the Dodonaea plant to absorb heavy metals (zinc, nickel, cadmium) from contaminated soil — with no connection to plastic or microplastic pollution.

2024 Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources, effects and present perspectives of heavy metals contamination: soil, plants and human food chain

This review summarizes how heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic contaminate soil, get absorbed by crops, and enter the human food chain. Heavy metals at high levels can damage plant growth and accumulate in food at concentrations unsafe for human consumption. This is relevant to microplastics research because microplastics in soil can bind and transport heavy metals, potentially increasing the amount that ends up in the food we eat.

2023 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impacts of Microplastics in Contaminated Soils: Potential Implications for Cu, Mn, and Sr Phytoremediation

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in urban soils from four Serbian cities and found that MPs were significantly associated with the mobility of copper, manganese, and strontium in the soil-plant system, with the weed Capsella bursa-pastoris primarily translocating these toxic elements to its aerial parts. Sites with higher MP concentrations, particularly the mining city of Bor, also showed the highest heavy metal contamination, suggesting MPs may influence phytoremediation efficiency.

2025 Metallurgical and Materials Data
Article Tier 2

Translocation and chronic effects of microplastics on pea plants (Pisum sativum) in copper-contaminated soil

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics affect pea plants grown in copper-contaminated soil over a full growing season. They found that the combination of nanoplastics and copper reduced crop yield, impaired nutritional quality, and that nanoplastic particles were taken up and transported throughout the plant tissues. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in polluted agricultural soils may compound existing threats to crop productivity and food safety.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 98 citations