Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Reduced DNA methylation by Mn3O4 nanozyme protein corona formation improves cotton yield in saline land

Despite its title referencing nanoparticles and nanozymes, this paper studies how manganese oxide nanoparticles applied to cotton plant leaves improve crop growth and yield in salt-stressed soils — not microplastic pollution. It examines DNA methylation mechanisms and enzyme interactions in agricultural settings and is not relevant to microplastics or human health from plastic exposure.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the seed germination of herbaceous ornamental plants

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect seed germination of three ornamental plant species, finding that nanoscale particles at high concentrations significantly inhibited germination and early growth.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic: impacts on ryegrass seed germination and seedling development

Researchers grew perennial ryegrass in hydroponic solution with polyethylene microplastics at six concentrations and three particle sizes (200 nm, 25 µm, 200 µm) and found that the smallest nanoparticles at the highest concentrations caused the greatest inhibition of germination, root growth, and seedling biomass.

2025 BMC Plant Biology
Article Tier 2

Nanoparticles as catalysts of agricultural revolution: enhancing crop tolerance to abiotic stress: a review

This review looks at how nanoparticles can help crops withstand environmental stresses like drought, salt, and heavy metal contamination. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because nanoparticles and microplastics share similar size ranges and behaviors in soil, and understanding how tiny particles interact with plants helps scientists assess both the risks and potential benefits of nanoscale materials in agriculture.

2025 Frontiers in Plant Science 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics and nanoplastics on cereal crops

This review summarized how microplastics and nanoplastics in soil affect cereal crops including wheat, rice, and maize, finding that even small amounts can inhibit seed germination, reduce root growth, and impair nutrient uptake. Microplastic contamination of agricultural soils poses a direct threat to global food security.

2021 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) on seed germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Researchers exposed wheat seeds and seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that while germination rates were unaffected, root growth increased significantly compared to controls. However, the nanoplastics were taken up by the roots and transported to the shoots, reducing micronutrient absorption and altering key metabolic pathways related to energy and amino acid production. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can fundamentally change how crop plants grow and process nutrients.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 667 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Germination and Seedlings Growth of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Researchers tested the effects of different microplastics on wheat seed germination and seedling growth and found that all treatments reduced plant development compared to controls. Polythene-containing microplastic treatments had the most negative impact, with significant reductions in both shoot and root length across wheat varieties.

2026 Journal of Bio-Science
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on seed storage proteins of plants

This review examines how microplastic contamination affects plant seed storage proteins — key nutritional components and drivers of reproductive success — with implications for food security as MP-plant interactions increasingly challenge the foundation of agricultural food systems.

2024 Microplastics
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

Effect of Alumina Nanoparticles on Lentil Seed Germination Using Biospeckle Optical Coherence Tomography

Not a microplastics paper — this study uses optical coherence tomography to monitor how alumina nanoparticles of different sizes affect the internal biological activity of lentil seeds before germination, finding size-dependent effects on seed metabolic processes.

2023 Applied Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochemical Impact of Microplastic Exposure on Seed Enzyme Activation During Early Germination

This study examined how microplastic exposure affects antioxidant enzyme activity in seeds during early germination, finding that microplastics disrupted key biochemical processes required for seed activation. The results suggest soil microplastic contamination could impair crop establishment.

2024 African Journal of Biomedical Research
Article Tier 2

Promotion effect of nitrogen-doped functional carbon nanodots on the early growth stage of plants

Researchers found that nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots promoted seed germination, root growth, and biomass production across multiple plant species better than undoped nanodots. This is a plant science nanotechnology study not directly related to environmental microplastic pollution.

2020 Oxford Open Materials Science 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Microplastic Concentration and Particle Size on the Germination and Seedling Growth of Pisum sativum L.

Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics at different sizes and concentrations on pea seed germination and seedling growth in hydroponic experiments. They found that microplastics significantly harmed germination, with low concentrations of the smallest particles showing particularly notable effects. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural environments may pose risks to crop development even at relatively low concentrations.

2024 Agronomy 11 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

[Effects of Microplastics on the Growth, Physiology, and Biochemical Characteristics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum)].

Wheat seedlings were grown in soils spiked with 100 nm and 5 μm polystyrene microplastics, with high concentrations (200 mg/L) significantly inhibiting root and stem elongation, reducing chlorophyll, and altering antioxidant enzyme activity, with smaller nanoplastics showing greater toxicity. The findings demonstrate that microplastic size influences phytotoxicity in a major agricultural crop.

2019 PubMed 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the adverse Impacts of Nano-scale Carbon Exposure on Nitrogen Metabolism during Early Seedling Establishment in Zea mays L. Roots

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it examines how nano-scale carbon materials affect nitrogen metabolism and root development in early maize seedlings.

2023
Article Tier 2

Exposure of Bromus hordeaceus to fossil- and plant-based micro- and nanoplastics: Impacts and plant-plastic interactions vary depending on polymer type and growth phase

Experiments with the grass Bromus hordeaceus showed that both fossil-based polyethylene and plant-based PBAT micro- and nanoplastics affected seed germination and plant development, with polymer type and growth phase determining the nature and magnitude of effects.

2024 Chemosphere
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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Effects of nano- & microplastics on terrestrial plants are ubiquitous and widespread: a systematic review

This systematic review finds that nano- and microplastics have widespread negative effects on plants, including reduced germination, stunted growth, and biochemical stress responses. Since plants form the base of our food supply, these findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could affect crop health and potentially the quality of food we eat.

2023 CNR ExploRA
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Impact of Microplastics Type of Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polystyrene on Seed Germination and Early Growth of Rice Plants

Researchers investigated how three common types of microplastics, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, affect rice seed germination and early seedling growth. They found that microplastic exposure altered root development and shoot growth, with the effects varying by polymer type. The study raises concerns about how microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils could affect staple crop establishment and food production.

2024 Environmental Quality Management 15 citations
Review Tier 2

Unveiling the mechanism of micro-and-nano plastic phytotoxicity on terrestrial plants: A comprehensive review of omics approaches.

This comprehensive review examined how micro-and-nano plastics (MNPs) in terrestrial soils damage plant health by inhibiting water and nutrient uptake, reducing seed germination, impairing photosynthesis, and inducing oxidative stress. The review identified key knowledge gaps in understanding MNP phytotoxicity mechanisms and their implications for food security.

2025 Environment international
Article Tier 2

Alleviation of Nanoplastic Stress in Rice: Evidence from Biochemical, Cytological, Physiological, and Transcriptome Analysis

Researchers studied how MoO3 nanoparticles alleviate nanoplastic stress in two rice cultivars, finding that MoO3 heteroaggregates with nanoplastics, reducing their uptake and mitigating biochemical, cytological, and transcriptomic stress responses in rice seedlings.

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

Sowing in Plastic Contaminated Soils: How (Micro)plastics Impact Seed Germination and Growth of White Mustard (Sinapis alba L.)

Laboratory and pot experiments with white mustard (Sinapis alba) exposed to low-density polyethylene microplastics found dose-dependent inhibition of seed germination, root development, and shoot growth, with higher MP concentrations causing greater plant stress.

2025 Applied Sciences 3 citations
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