Papers

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Article Tier 2

Single and combined effect of polyethylene microplastics (virgin and naturally aged) and cadmium on pakchoi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) under different growth stages

Researchers examined the single and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on pakchoi vegetables at different growth stages. The study found that naturally aged microplastics had different effects than virgin ones, and that the combination of microplastics and cadmium could worsen oxidative stress and nutrient disruption in plants, particularly during early growth.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged polylactic acid microplastics with ultraviolet irradiation stunted pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) germination and growth with cadmium in hydroponics

Researchers found that UV-aged biodegradable PLA microplastics were more harmful to plant growth than fresh ones, especially when combined with cadmium contamination. The aged microplastics increased oxidative damage and reduced nutrient uptake in pakchoi plants. This matters because biodegradable plastics are promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, but they may become more toxic as they break down in the environment.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural Aging IntensifiesMicroplastic Phytotoxicityin Brassica chinensis

Researchers compared pristine and artificially aged polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics applied to pak choi (Brassica chinensis) in soil over 45 days. Aged MPs with oxidised surfaces caused stronger phytotoxicity than pristine MPs, reducing plant biomass and disrupting soil enzyme activity, demonstrating that environmental weathering worsens MP impacts on crops.

2025 Figshare
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

Biodegradable microplastics coupled with biochar enhance Cd chelation and reduce Cd accumulation in Chinese cabbage

Researchers tested how biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics interact with biochar in soil contaminated with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, and found that the combination reduced cadmium uptake in Chinese cabbage by up to 47%. The PLA promoted formation of natural chelating compounds in the root zone that bound the cadmium, suggesting a possible soil remediation benefit from certain biodegradable plastics.

2025 Biochar 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Stress of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics on pakchoi(Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) and soil bacteria: Biochar mitigation

Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on pakchoi (a leafy vegetable) and found that both types harmed plant growth and disrupted soil bacteria. Adding biochar to the soil helped reduce these negative effects, suggesting it could be a practical way to protect crops from microplastic contamination in agricultural settings.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The toxicological effect on pak choi of co-exposure to degradable and non-degradable microplastics with oxytetracycline in the soil

This study tested how microplastics and the antibiotic oxytetracycline, both common contaminants in farmland soil, affect pak choi (a leafy vegetable). Both types of microplastics harmed root growth, photosynthesis, and plant metabolism, and surprisingly, biodegradable PLA microplastics caused more damage than conventional polyethylene ones. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could reduce crop quality and nutritional value, with so-called eco-friendly plastics potentially being worse for plants.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Plant Cadmium Toxicity and Biomarkers Are Differentially Modulated by Degradable and Nondegradable Microplastics in Soil

Researchers compared how degradable (polylactic acid) and nondegradable (polypropylene) microplastics affect cadmium toxicity in plants grown in contaminated soil. They found that polypropylene caused greater root growth inhibition, while polylactic acid led to higher levels of cellular stress markers at certain concentrations. The study reveals that both types of microplastics can alter soil chemistry and increase the uptake of heavy metals by crops, but through different mechanisms.

2024 Toxics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastics and cadmium on soil properties, microbial communities and bok choy growth

Researchers grew bok choy in soil amended with polyethylene microplastics (0.5-2% by weight) and cadmium to assess interactive effects on soil properties, microbial communities, and plant growth. Combined exposure produced distinct synergistic and antagonistic interactions compared to either pollutant alone, altering soil enzyme activity, bacterial diversity, and plant metal uptake.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural Aging Intensifies Microplastic Phytotoxicity in Brassica chinensis

Researchers compared the effects of pristine and naturally aged polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics on Chinese cabbage growth and soil health over a 45-day experiment. They found that aged microplastics with oxidized surfaces caused significantly more plant damage, reducing biomass and chlorophyll content more than their pristine counterparts. The study suggests that as microplastics weather in agricultural soils, they may become increasingly harmful to crops.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 4 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

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

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

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

Coupled Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics and Cadmium on Soil–Plant Systems: Impact on Soil Properties and Cadmium Uptake in Lettuce

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics interact with cadmium contamination in soil and its effects on lettuce growth. The study found that microplastics combined with cadmium significantly decreased soil quality and that microplastics can alter cadmium uptake in plants, suggesting that co-contamination of agricultural soils with both pollutants may pose compounded risks to food crop safety.

2025 Toxics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polylactic acid microplastics inhibit Cd accumulation and growth of Solanum nigrum L.: Insights from microbial communities and metabolomic profiles

Researchers found that polylactic acid microplastics in soil reduced cadmium uptake and inhibited biomass growth in the cadmium hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum, altering soil microbial communities and metabolomic profiles in ways that could impair phytoremediation.

2025 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

Polylactic acid microplastics and earthworms drive cadmium bioaccumulation and toxicity in the soil–radish health community

Researchers examined how polylactic acid microplastics combined with earthworm activity affect cadmium uptake and toxicity in radish plants grown in contaminated soil. The combined treatment significantly increased cadmium accumulation in both roots and leaves while reducing plant biomass by approximately 75% compared to cadmium exposure alone. The findings suggest that biodegradable microplastics and soil fauna together can amplify heavy metal contamination risks in food crops.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium co-contamination on the soybean-soil system: Integrated metabolic and rhizosphere microbial mechanisms

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics and cadmium interact in soybean-soil systems and found that specific microplastic concentrations enhanced cadmium accumulation in roots under moderate contamination. Higher microplastic levels reduced beneficial soil bacteria like Sphingomonas and Bradyrhizobium and suppressed nitrogen-cycling functions. The study demonstrates that microplastics fundamentally alter heavy metal behavior through interconnected plant-metabolite-microbe interactions in agricultural soils.

2026 Environmental Pollution
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

Single and Combined Effects of Microplastics and Cadmium on Oxidative Responses, Antioxidant System and Cadmium Phytoavailability of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica campestris L.)

Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris) co-exposed to microplastics and cadmium showed increased oxidative stress compared to cadmium alone, and microplastics altered cadmium phytoavailability in soil, suggesting co-contamination scenarios pose compounded risks to vegetable crop safety.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Response of Brassica chinensis L to the stress of combined pollution of microplastics and cypermethrin

Researchers studied the response of Brassica chinensis L. to combined pollution from conventional polyethylene microplastics and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics together with the pesticide cypermethrin, finding that PLA microplastics caused greater inhibitory effects on plant growth than PE microplastics. Combined microplastic-pesticide treatment produced greater inhibition than microplastics alone, with plants managing oxidative stress through increased antioxidant defense at low PE concentrations that gradually weakened at higher concentrations.

2025 Environmental Technology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics addition reduced the toxicity and uptake of cadmium to Brassica chinensis L.

Researchers studied how the presence of microplastics in soil affects the toxicity and uptake of cadmium, a harmful heavy metal, by Chinese cabbage plants. They found that microplastics actually reduced cadmium accumulation in the plants by adsorbing the metal onto their surfaces, effectively lowering its availability in the soil. While this reduced cadmium toxicity to the plants, the study notes that microplastics themselves may introduce other environmental risks.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Studies on the impact of aged microplastics on agricultural soil enzyme activity, lettuce growth, and oxidative stress

This study examined how aged microplastics from three common plastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polylactic acid) affect soil health and lettuce growth. Researchers found that high concentrations of biodegradable PLA plastic actually reduced lettuce weight by over 58%, while all three plastic types triggered oxidative stress in the plants. The results show that even so-called eco-friendly biodegradable plastics can harm crops and soil when they accumulate at higher levels.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 4 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