Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Visual Tracking and Quantitative Analysis of Polystyrene Nanoplastics Uptake and Transport across Various Tomato Varieties

Researchers tracked the uptake and transport of polystyrene nanoplastics across six tomato cultivars, finding significant varietal differences in accumulation and growth inhibition, with Heinz 1706 being most resistant (13% inhibition) and Moneymaker most sensitive (32% inhibition). Nanoplastics accumulated preferentially in roots and near the xylem in stems and leaves, with shoot concentrations substantially lower than root concentrations.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Uptake and translocation of nanoplastics in mono and dicot vegetables

Researchers investigated the uptake and translocation of nanoplastics in four vegetable species -- pak choi, tomato, radish, and asparagus -- exposing plants to fluorescently labeled poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene particles of 100 to 500 nm with different surface modifications, and using fluorescence microscopy to confirm nanoparticle entry and movement regardless of size or surface chemistry.

2024
Article Tier 2

MICROPLÁSTICOS Y NANOPLÁSTICOS: UNA REVISIÓN SISTEMÁTICA DE SU IMPACTO EN EL CRECIMIENTO DE TOMATE (Solanum lycopersicum)

This systematic review analysed published studies on the effects of synthetic microplastics and nanoplastics on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) growth, examining how polymer type, particle size, concentration, and growth medium modulate phytotoxicity. The review found that MP and NP exposure consistently impaired biomass accumulation, plant height, flower and fruit production, and root and shoot length, with higher concentrations and smaller particle sizes generally producing the most pronounced negative effects.

2025 Revista Ciencia e Innovación Agroalimentaria de la Universidad de Guanajuato
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on tomato plant growth, fruit yield and quality

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect tomato plant growth and fruit quality, finding that exposure reduced seedling biomass, impaired photosynthesis, and triggered oxidative stress. At higher concentrations, the nanoplastics inhibited mineral uptake and diminished fruit yield along with nutritional quality markers like vitamin C and lycopene. The study highlights that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could pose a meaningful threat to food crop productivity and nutritional value.

2026 Food Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Transport Dynamicsand Physiological Responses ofPolystyrene Nanoplastics in Pakchoi: Implications for Food Safetyand Environmental Health

Researchers tracked the transport and physiological responses of polystyrene nanoplastics in pakchoi (bok choy) plants, finding that nanoplastics were absorbed through roots and translocated to shoots where they disrupted chlorophyll production and reduced plant growth.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Phytotoxicity of polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)

Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on tomato plant growth using hydroponic experiments at various concentrations. The study found that all three types of microplastics negatively affected seed germination, root growth, and plant development, with effects varying by plastic type and concentration. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural settings could interfere with crop growth and food production.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 195 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake and translocation of nanoplastics in mono and dicot vegetables

Scientists exposed four different vegetable crops to fluorescent nanoplastics and tracked where the particles ended up in the plants. Nanoplastics were absorbed through the roots and transported to the stems and leaves of all plants tested, including tomatoes, radishes, and leafy greens. This confirms that food crops can take up nanoplastics from contaminated soil and deliver them to the parts of the plant that people eat.

2024 Plant Cell & Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Translocation of polystyrene nanoplastics in distinct plant species: Novel insight from a split-root system and transcriptomic analysis

Researchers used a split-root system to study how polystyrene nanoplastics move through cucumber and maize plants, finding that the particles travel from roots to shoots via xylem and redistribute back to roots via phloem. Cucumber roots accumulated more nanoplastics than maize, while maize showed greater redistribution from shoots back to roots. The study revealed that aquaporin proteins play a key role in regulating nanoplastic uptake and transport in plants.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics during transport and redistribution in distinct plant species: A combined split-root experiment and metabolomic analysis

Researchers used a split-root system to study how polystyrene nanoplastics travel through the root-shoot-root pathway and cause toxicity in cucumber and maize seedlings. The study found that nanoplastics inhibited growth in both exposed and unexposed roots, with cucumber showing greater sensitivity than maize, and metabolomic analysis revealed distinct disruptions in plant metabolism during nanoplastic transport and redistribution.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Uptake and translocation of polystyrene nanoplastics in edible plants via root and foliar exposure: A qualitative imaging-based study

Researchers examined the uptake and movement of polystyrene nanoplastics in lettuce, carrot, and wheat following root and foliar exposure using confocal and electron microscopy. The study found that nanoplastics were internalized in root, stem, and leaf tissues of all three species, with lettuce showing the most extensive systemic transport including bidirectional movement, raising potential concerns for human exposure through crop consumption.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue infiltration of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics in Solanum tuberosum L. influences plant growth and yield

Researchers applied polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics to soil growing two potato cultivars and found that the particles infiltrated plant tissues including shoots, leaves, and tubers. Higher microplastic concentrations significantly reduced germination rates, growth metrics, and nutrient content, with polystyrene causing the most severe negative effects. The study demonstrates that microplastics can be taken up by food crops and accumulate in the edible portions of the plant.

2025 Current Plant Biology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The distribution and impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on cucumber plants

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics of four different sizes distribute within cucumber plants and affect root growth and fruit quality. They found that smaller particles accumulated more readily throughout the plant, moving from roots to leaves and fruit, and caused greater disruption to root physiology. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could affect both crop development and food quality.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 253 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of High-Density Polyethylene Nanoplastics (HDPE-NPs) in Soil Can Influence the Growth Parameters of Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at Various Stages of Development

Researchers grew tomato plants in soil spiked with high-density polyethylene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations, finding that the nanoplastics slowed germination, reduced root and shoot growth, and affected plant physiology at multiple developmental stages. Effects were dose-dependent and more pronounced at higher nanoplastic concentrations. As nanoplastics are now detected in agricultural soils through biosolid application and irrigation, this study raises concerns about the impact of nano-sized plastic contamination on food crop yields.

2025 Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport Dynamics and Physiological Responses of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Pakchoi: Implications for Food Safety and Environmental Health

Researchers tracked fluorescently labeled nanoplastics as they traveled through pakchoi (a leafy green vegetable), entering through the roots, moving up through the plant's water-transport system, and accumulating in the leaves. The nanoplastics caused oxidative damage and disrupted plant hormones, demonstrating a clear pathway by which plastic pollution in soil could enter the human food supply through everyday vegetables.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insights into the size-dependent bioaccumulation and phytotoxicity of polyethylene microplastics in tomato seedlings

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect tomato seedlings and found that the smallest particles (1-50 micrometers) caused the most severe damage, reducing shoot weight by 42.3% and root length by 55.1%. The study revealed that microplastic uptake and toxicity are strongly size-dependent, with smaller particles more easily absorbed and translocated through plant tissues, triggering significant oxidative stress.

2026 Frontiers in Plant Science
Article Tier 2

Species-SpecificFoliar Absorption and Translocationof Nanoplastics in Leafy Vegetables Revealed through Isotopic, Physiological,and Transcriptomic Analyses

Researchers used deuterium-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics to track foliar uptake in three leafy vegetables, finding cherry radish accumulated the highest leaf concentrations (5.1-216.3 µg/g dry weight), with translocation pathways differing by species — roots in cherry radish and lettuce, stems in water spinach — linked to leaf architecture, plant physiology, and stomatal regulation gene expression.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Species-Specific Foliar Absorption and Translocation of Nanoplastics in Leafy Vegetables Revealed through Isotopic, Physiological, and Transcriptomic Analyses

Researchers used deuterium-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics to track foliar uptake in three leafy vegetables, finding cherry radish accumulated the highest leaf concentrations (5.1-216.3 µg/g dry weight), with translocation pathways differing by species — roots in cherry radish and lettuce, stems in water spinach — linked to differences in leaf architecture, plant physiology, and stomatal regulation gene expression.

2025 ACS Nano
Article Tier 2

Uptake, Distribution, and Impact of Micro- and Nano-Plastics in Horticultural Systems Using Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as a Model Crop

Researchers studied how micro- and nanoplastics are taken up and distributed in lettuce grown in horticultural systems, finding that nanopolystyrene exposures significantly inhibited leaf and root development in a concentration-dependent manner. They optimized extraction methods for quantifying microplastics in soil and developed a synthesis procedure for nanoplastic test particles. The study demonstrates that plastic fragments from horticultural materials can accumulate in soil and affect crop growth, raising concerns about food safety.

2026
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics' accumulation in roots induces adverse physiological and molecular effects in water spinach Ipomoea aquatica Forsk

Researchers exposed water spinach to polystyrene nanoplastics in a hydroponic experiment and tracked where the particles accumulated in the plant. They found that nanoplastics built up primarily in the roots, causing reduced growth, impaired photosynthesis, and disrupted antioxidant defense systems. The study raises concerns about nanoplastic uptake by edible aquatic vegetables and the potential implications for food safety.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Luminous polystyrene upconverted nanoparticles to visualize the traces of nanoplastics in a vegetable plant

Luminous polystyrene upconverted nanoparticles were used to track the uptake and accumulation of nanoplastics in edible plants, providing a novel visualization method that revealed specific tissues and pathways through which nanoplastics travel from soil through roots into above-ground plant structures.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Type-dependent effects of microplastics on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.): Focus on root exudates and metabolic reprogramming

Researchers grew tomato plants in the presence of three different types of microplastics and found that each type produced distinct effects on plant physiology, root secretions, and metabolic processes. Polystyrene had the strongest negative impact, significantly altering root exudate composition and triggering metabolic reprogramming in the plants. The study demonstrates that the type of plastic matters when assessing how microplastic pollution affects crop growth and soil chemistry.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 118 citations
Article Tier 2

The review of nanoplastics in plants: Detection, analysis, uptake, migration and risk

This review examines how nanoplastics are detected, analyzed, taken up by plants, and migrate through plant tissues from roots to edible parts. As nanoplastics are found in agricultural soils, understanding how they enter food crops is critical for assessing human dietary exposure.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of nanoplastics by wheat seedling roots: Both passive and energy-consuming processes

This study investigated how wheat seedling roots absorb and transport polystyrene and PVC nanoplastics, finding that uptake occurred through both passive (energy-independent) and active (energy-consuming) processes. Root uptake efficiency varied by particle type and size, with implications for nanoplastic entry into the food chain via crop plants.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Determining the accumulation potential of nanoplastics in crops: An investigation of 14C-labelled polystyrene nanoplastic into radishes

Researchers used a radioactive labeling technique to track nanoplastics as they moved through radish plants, demonstrating for the first time that these particles can accumulate in edible tissues. About 25% of the nanoplastics absorbed by the roots were found in the edible fleshy root, with another 10% reaching the shoots. The findings highlight a potential pathway for human exposure to nanoplastics through everyday vegetables.

2025 Environmental Research 2 citations