Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance maize cadmium resistance and reduce translocation: Dependence on microplastics concentration

Researchers investigated how beneficial soil fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can help maize plants resist cadmium toxicity in soils contaminated with both microplastics and heavy metals. They found that high concentrations of polyethylene microplastics worsened cadmium toxicity, but inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi significantly improved plant growth, nutrient uptake, and photosynthesis. The study suggests that these fungi could serve as a biological tool for managing crop health in soils with combined microplastic and heavy metal contamination.

2026
Article Tier 2

Microplastics modify plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi systems in a Pb-Zn-contaminated soil

Researchers examined how six types of microplastics affect sweet sorghum growth and soil fungal communities in soil contaminated with lead and zinc. They found that microplastics generally did not inhibit plant growth and in some cases promoted it, but they increased the uptake of heavy metals into plant shoots. The study suggests that microplastics may worsen the risks of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils by enhancing metal accumulation in crops.

2025 Applied Soil Ecology 5 citations
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

Regulation of the Rhizosphere Microenvironment by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi to Mitigate the Effects of Cadmium Contamination on Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

Researchers studied how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi help perennial ryegrass cope with cadmium-contaminated soil by reshaping the microbial community around the plant roots. They found that the fungi increased beneficial bacteria and reduced harmful ones, improving the plant's ability to tolerate heavy metal stress. While focused on cadmium rather than microplastics, the study demonstrates how soil microorganisms can help plants resist environmental contaminants.

2024 Microorganisms 6 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi attenuate negative impact of drought on soil functions

A meta-analysis combined with greenhouse experiments demonstrated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promote soil aggregation, microbial biomass, and nutrient-cycling enzyme activity, effectively buffering soil functions against drought. This protective effect is relevant to microplastic concerns because soil health is increasingly threatened by plastic pollution, and understanding natural soil defense mechanisms is important for protecting agricultural ecosystems.

2024 Global Change Biology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Physio-Biochemical Mechanisms of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Enhancing Plant Resistance to Abiotic Stress

This review explores how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial soil organisms that form partnerships with plant roots, help crops cope with environmental stresses like drought, salinity, and heavy metal contamination. The fungi improve nutrient uptake, water absorption, and antioxidant defenses while triggering beneficial hormonal responses in host plants. The authors note that wider agricultural use of these fungi is limited by challenges in mass production and variability across different crops and soil conditions.

2024 Agriculture 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic Reduction of Arsenic Uptake and Alleviation of Leaf Arsenic Toxicity in Maize (Zea mays L.) by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Exogenous Iron through Antioxidant Activity

Researchers studied whether combining a beneficial soil fungus (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) with iron supplements could help protect corn plants from arsenic contamination in soil. They found that using both together significantly reduced arsenic uptake in the plants while boosting growth, phosphorus absorption, and antioxidant defenses in the leaves. The study suggests that this combined biological and mineral approach could help make crops safer to grow in arsenic-contaminated farmland.

2023 Journal of Fungi 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Effects of Microplastic on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

This review examines how microplastics in soil affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, finding evidence that microplastics can alter fungal colonization of plant roots, spore production, and the broader soil microbiome, with cascading effects on plant nutrient uptake.

2021 Frontiers in Plant Science 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Nurturing with Nature: The Efficacy of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Microbe for Cocoa Sector Environmental Management in Ghana

Researchers tested the efficacy of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation for improving plant establishment and soil health in revegetation of degraded land, finding that mycorrhizal treatments increased plant biomass, root development, and soil nutrient cycling compared to uninoculated controls. The study supports the use of mycorrhizal bioinoculants as a nature-based tool for ecological restoration.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
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

The hidden power of secondary metabolites in plant-fungi interactions and sustainable phytoremediation

This review explores how plants and fungi produce secondary metabolites that play important roles in their interactions with each other and can be harnessed for cleaning up contaminated environments. Researchers examined how fungal compounds help plants tolerate pollutants like heavy metals and microplastics in soil. The findings suggest that leveraging plant-fungi partnerships could offer sustainable, nature-based approaches to environmental remediation.

2022 Frontiers in Plant Science 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Decontamination of pollutants present in water, air, and soil through phytoremediation: a critical review

This critical review examines phytoremediation — the use of plants to remove contaminants from soil, water, and air — covering mechanisms such as phytoextraction, phytodegradation, and rhizofiltration, and assessing their effectiveness for heavy metals, organic pollutants, and microplastics.

2025 International Journal of Phytoremediation
Commentary Tier 3

Editorial: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: The Bridge Between Plants, Soils, and Humans

This editorial synthesizes the diverse functional roles of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi as biological bridges between plant roots, soils, and human food systems, highlighting their direct effects including enhanced nutrient acquisition, pollutant immobilization, and induced pathogen tolerance. The piece frames AM symbiosis as a key lever for sustainable agriculture, improving crop yield and quality while mediating soil physical and microbial properties across approximately 70% of all plant species.

2022 Frontiers in Plant Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Accelerating phytoremediation of degraded agricultural soils utilizing rhizobacteria and endophytes: a review

This review examines how beneficial soil bacteria and fungi can help plants clean up contaminated agricultural soils, including those polluted by plastic mulch residues, pesticides, and heavy metals. Microbial-assisted phytoremediation is presented as a promising low-cost approach for restoring degraded farmland.

2019 Environmental Reviews 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial synergies in phytoremediation: A comprehensive review

Not relevant to microplastics — this is a review of how soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) assist plants in removing pollutants like heavy metals and hydrocarbons through phytoremediation; while the study addresses environmental contamination broadly, it does not examine microplastic pollution or its effects.

2026 International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research
Article Tier 2

Bidirectional interference between nanoplastics and arsenic in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis: Reciprocal modulation of uptake, transformation and translocation

Researchers used a dual-compartment culture system to show that nanoplastics and arsenic interfere with each other inside arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, where nanoplastics reduce arsenic uptake by fungal hyphae while promoting its conversion to less toxic organic forms, and the fungi in turn internalize and translocate nanoplastics — revealing potential for fungal-based remediation of co-contaminated soils.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Advantageous Impact on Sustainable Agroecosystems and Bridge between Plants, Soils, and Humans Health

This review discusses how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance sustainable agroecosystems by improving plant nutrient uptake, soil structure, and stress tolerance, with implications for reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers and improving food security. The authors explore links between mycorrhizal health, soil microbiome, and human nutrition.

2024 Journal of Life Sciences Research and Reviews
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

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

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Can Inhibit the Allocation of Microplastics from Crop Roots to Aboveground Edible Parts

Scientists discovered that beneficial soil fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can reduce the amount of microplastics that travel from plant roots into the edible parts of lettuce. Plants grown with these fungi transported significantly fewer plastic particles to their leaves compared to plants without them. The findings suggest that natural fungal partnerships in soil could serve as a biological barrier helping protect food crops from microplastic contamination.

2023 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve treatment performance and vegetative resilience in constructed wetlands exposed to microplastics

This study found that adding beneficial fungi to constructed wetlands significantly improved their ability to remove microplastics and nutrients from wastewater, boosting nitrogen removal by 45.7% and phosphate removal by 25.3%. The fungi helped plants resist the stress caused by microplastic contamination and maintained healthier microbial communities. These enhanced wetlands could serve as a natural, low-cost method for reducing the microplastics that escape from wastewater treatment plants into the environment.

2025 Environmental Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging microplastic aggravates the pollution of heavy metals in rhizosphere biofilms

Researchers found that aging microplastics aggravate heavy metal pollution in rhizosphere biofilms, with weathered MPs accumulating more metals and altering microbial community structure in the root zone, potentially increasing contaminant transfer to plants.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Migration and accumulation of microplastics in soil-plant systems mediated by symbiotic microorganisms and their ecological effects

This study found that beneficial soil fungi (mycorrhizal fungi) actually accelerate the uptake of smaller microplastics by plant roots while slowing the uptake of larger ones. The microplastics disrupted the symbiotic relationship between the fungi and plants, reducing plant nutrient absorption and growth, which matters because crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil may be less nutritious.

2024 Environment International 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro and nanoplastics on plant-assisted bioremediation for contaminated soil recovery: A review

This review examines how the growing presence of micro- and nanoplastics in contaminated soils affects plant-assisted bioremediation, finding that microplastics disrupt the plant-microbe rhizosphere interactions that make phytoremediation effective for removing heavy metals and degrading organic pollutants.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment