Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Response of Phaseolus vulgaris plants to foliar spray and soil drenching by silver nanoparticles (Ag+NPS).

Researchers tested silver nanoparticle applications as foliar sprays and soil treatments on common bean plants at varying concentrations. Higher doses improved vegetative growth, chlorophyll content, and leaf area, while lower doses had negligible effects. The study explores the potential of nanoparticles to enhance crop productivity, though long-term soil and environmental safety remain to be established.

2023 Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Sciences /Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
Article Tier 2

Stimulating effect of biogenic nanoparticles on the germination of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) seeds

Researchers synthesized silver, zinc oxide, and iron oxide nanoparticles using plant extracts from thyme and lavender, then tested their effects on basil seed germination. They found that different nanoparticle types and concentrations enhanced germination at varying rates, with silver nanoparticles at 200 mg/L producing the strongest overall boost, suggesting that biologically made nanoparticles could serve as low-toxicity agricultural growth promoters.

2024 Scientific Reports 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Nano- and microplastics commonly cause adverse impacts on plants at environmentally relevant levels: A systematic review

Systematic review of 78 studies found that nano- and microplastics commonly cause adverse effects on plants even at environmentally relevant concentrations, with germination and root growth more strongly affected than shoot growth during early development. Chlorophyll levels were consistently reduced while stress indicators (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes were consistently upregulated across species.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative effect of silver nanoparticles on maize rhizoplane microbiome in initial phaseof plants growth

This is not about microplastics — it is a soil microbiology study examining how five different forms of silver nanoparticles with varying surface properties affect the bacterial and fungal communities in the root zone of maize seedlings.

2024 International Agrophysics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study on the Growth and Physiological Toxicity Effects of the Combined Exposure of Microplastics and Cadmium on the Vicia faba L. Seedlings

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics alone and combined with cadmium affect the growth and physiology of fava bean seedlings grown in hydroponic culture. The study found that microplastics altered root biomass, antioxidant enzyme activity, and cellular damage markers, and that fluorescent microplastic particles entered and accumulated in root tips, indicating direct uptake by the plant.

2024 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Plants oxidative response to nanoplastic

This review summarized how plants respond to nanoplastic exposure through oxidative stress mechanisms, covering effects on seed germination, root growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Nanoplastics posed greater risks than larger microplastics due to cellular uptake and interference with plant biochemical processes.

2022 Frontiers in Plant Science 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on seed germination and seedling physiological characteristics of Spinacia oleracea under alkali stress.

Polystyrene nanoplastics at moderate to high concentrations (400 mg/L and above) inhibited spinach seed germination and suppressed antioxidant enzyme activity and chlorophyll levels, even under normal growing conditions. When combined with alkaline salt stress — simulating saline soils common in some agricultural regions — both stressors generally compounded harm to plant development. These findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination in irrigated croplands, where plants may already face chemical stress, potentially threatening food crop yields.

2023 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of soybean (Glycine max L.) seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics: Physiological, biochemical, and molecular perspectives

Researchers examined the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on soybean seedlings in a hydroponic experiment and confirmed that the nanoparticles were taken up by plant roots. The study found that nanoplastic exposure negatively affected growth, increased mineral content in roots and leaves, caused oxidative stress, and altered gene expression related to stress response and hormone signaling pathways.

2022 Environmental Pollution 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of MnxOy Nanoparticles Stabilized with Methionine on Germination of Barley Seeds (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Not relevant to microplastics — this study investigates the effect of manganese oxide nanoparticles stabilised with the amino acid methionine on barley seed germination and early growth.

2023 Nanomaterials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Spotlight on the long-term effects of micro/nanoplastics exposure on Spirulina platensis: Algal cells, extracellular polymeric substances, and phycocyanin

Scientists studied the effects of micro and nanoplastics on Spirulina, a nutritional algae widely used as a food supplement, over a 50-day period. The plastic particles slowed Spirulina growth, damaged cell surfaces, and initially reduced the quality and quantity of phycocyanin, a valuable blue pigment. Since Spirulina is consumed by humans as a health food, microplastic contamination in algae culture environments could affect the quality and safety of these supplements.

2025 Food Chemistry 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biogenic silver nanoparticles of Moringa oleifera leaf extract: Characterization and photocatalytic application

Researchers developed an environmentally friendly method for producing silver nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera leaf extract, optimizing the conditions for their formation and stability. The resulting nanoparticles were crystalline and spherical, and demonstrated strong photocatalytic activity in degrading the industrial dye Malachite green in water. The study suggests that plant-based silver nanoparticles could serve as effective, low-cost tools for breaking down organic pollutants in aqueous environments.

2024 Nanotechnology Reviews 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnesium Sulfide Nanoparticles of Hordeum vulgare: Green Synthesis and their nano- nutrient impact on seed priming effect, germination, root and shoot length of Brassica nigra and Trigonella foenum-graecum

Researchers synthesized magnesium sulfide nanoparticles (MgS NPs) using a green method with Hordeum vulgare (barley) leaf extract, producing spherical particles averaging 14 nm with a 2.0 eV band gap confirmed by XRD, UV-visible spectroscopy, and SEM. The resulting NPs were evaluated as nano-nutrients for seed priming, germination, and root and shoot growth in Brassica nigra and Trigonella foenum-graecum.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Nanoengineering of eco-friendly silver nanoparticles using five different plant extracts and development of cost-effective phenol nanosensor

Researchers used extracts from five plant species to create environmentally friendly silver nanoparticles and built them into a sensor capable of detecting phenol (a chemical pollutant) in water at very low concentrations, including in water from plastic bottles, offering a cheap and green option for monitoring water quality.

2021 Scientific Reports 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Pleotropic Roles of Biosynthesized Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles on Morphological, Physiological and Molecular Aspects on Brassica napus

This study biosynthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles using Aloe vera extract and assessed their effects on Brassica napus canola plants, finding dose-dependent effects on germination, root growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant enzyme activity, highlighting both potential agricultural benefits and phytotoxicity risks of CeO2 nanoparticles.

2023 Egyptian Journal of Botany 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoparticle-driven defense in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): Enhancing antioxidant and rhizosphere responses under arsenic and microplastic stress

Researchers tested whether silicon, silicon dioxide, and silver nanoparticles could protect wheat from combined arsenic and microplastic stress in soil, finding that all three nanoparticle types improved antioxidant activity, reduced oxidative damage, and supported rhizosphere microbial community recovery.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects and molecular metabolic of polystyrene nanoplastics on soybean (Glycine max L.): Strengthening defense ability by enhancing secondary metabolisms

Researchers exposed soybean seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the tiny particles were absorbed by the roots and transported throughout the plant. The nanoplastics caused oxidative stress and slowed growth, though the plants activated defense mechanisms through secondary metabolism. This is concerning because crops that absorb nanoplastics could transfer them to humans through the food supply.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytotests for assessing phytotoxicity of “Blue moon” liquid detergent: Lens culinaris seeds

Researchers found that 'Blue moon' liquid laundry detergent exhibited phytotoxicity to lentil seeds at various concentrations, demonstrating dose-dependent inhibition of germination and root/shoot development in phytotest assays.

2021 Issues in Biological Sciences and Pharmaceutical Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic and transcriptomic responses of Taxus mairei to nano-pollutants: insights into AgNPs and PsNPs impact

Taxus mairei plants exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics (PsNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) showed distinct metabolic and transcriptomic responses, with both nano-pollutants disrupting primary and secondary metabolism—including taxol biosynthesis pathways—at different doses, with implications for medicinal plant cultivation in polluted environments.

2025 Medicinal Plant Biology
Article Tier 2

Integrating Chlorophyll a Fluorescence and Enzymatic Profiling to Reveal the Wheat Responses to Nano-ZnO Stress

Not relevant to microplastics — this study examines how different wheat cultivars respond to zinc oxide nanoparticle stress in soil, using chlorophyll fluorescence and enzyme activity to identify tolerant varieties.

2023 Plants 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) on physiological and biochemical parameters of the microalgae Spirulina platensis

Researchers exposed the microalgae Spirulina platensis to polystyrene nanoplastics at three concentrations over 20 days and found dose-dependent reductions in growth rate, dry weight, and photosynthetic pigments alongside increased oxidative stress markers, indicating nanoplastics impair algal physiology even at relatively low exposure levels.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

The Influence of Polystyrene and Biodegradable Microplastics on Phaseolus vulgaris L. Growth

Researchers grew common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in soils contaminated with polystyrene microplastics and biodegradable microplastics separately and assessed growth outcomes at two time points. Both plastic types reduced plant biomass, root length, and chlorophyll content in a dose-dependent manner, with the biodegradable variant showing comparable phytotoxicity to conventional polystyrene.

2025 ACS Omega
Article Tier 2

Employment of nanoparticles for improvement of plant growth and development

This review examined how nanoparticles can improve plant growth and development, finding that nanotechnology applications in agriculture — including nanoparticle-based nutrient delivery — offer potential benefits but require careful consideration of risks in contaminated soils.

2022 Botanica 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined contamination of nano-polystyrene and nanoAg: Uptake, translocation and ecotoxicity effects on willow saplings

Researchers studied how nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles interact and affect willow saplings in a hydroponic experiment. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics can penetrate plant roots and travel to branches and leaves through xylem ducts, and that co-exposure with silver nanoparticles alters the plants' physiological and biochemical responses.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

ZnO Nanoparticle-based Seed Priming Modulates Early Growth and Enhances Physio-biochemical and Metabolic Profiles of Fragrant Rice Against Cadmium Toxicity

Researchers investigated whether priming fragrant rice seeds with ZnO nanoparticles could mitigate cadmium (Cd) toxicity during early seedling growth. They found that ZnO nanoparticle seed priming significantly improved seedling biomass and physiological attributes under Cd stress, though it had no significant effect on germination rate itself.

2020 Research Square (Research Square) 17 citations