Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Lettuce seed germination in the presence of microplastic contamination

This study examined the effects of microplastic contamination on lettuce seed germination, finding that microplastics in soil altered physiological processes such as water retention and chlorophyll production, with implications for food safety and agricultural ecosystems.

2024 Journal of Emerging Investigators
Article Tier 2

Potential impact and mechanism of aged polyethylene microplastics on nitrogen assimilation of Lactuca sativa L.

Researchers investigated how aged polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect nitrogen uptake and metabolism in romaine lettuce. They found that aged microplastics, especially smaller particles, accumulated in the plants and disrupted nitrogen assimilation processes. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may affect crop nutrition and quality by interfering with how plants absorb and process essential nutrients.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 5 citations
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

Effects of Soil Microplastics on Plant Growth and Soil Health

A greenhouse experiment found that polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics at increasing concentrations reduced lettuce biomass, altered soil microbial activity, and changed soil structure and water retention, with effects more pronounced at higher MP concentrations.

2025 Knowledgeable Research A Multidisciplinary Journal
Article Tier 2

Metabolic response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics after foliar exposure

Researchers exposed lettuce plants to polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics through their leaves and found that the particles altered the plant's metabolism differently depending on particle size. This foliar exposure pathway means that microplastics and nanoplastics settling on leafy vegetables from the air can change the plant's internal chemistry. Since lettuce is widely consumed raw, these metabolic changes raise questions about how microplastic-contaminated produce might affect nutritional quality and human health.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Mediated Heavy Metal Uptake in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.): Implications for Food Safety and Agricultural Sustainability

Researchers grew lettuce in contaminated soil mixed with different types of microplastics, including fibers, glitter, and fragments from bags and bottles. They found that microplastics altered how heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and copper moved through the soil and into the plants, sometimes increasing uptake of toxic metals in roots while decreasing others in leaves. The results raise concerns about food safety in agricultural areas where both microplastic and heavy metal contamination overlap.

2025 Molecules 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological responses of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to microplastic pollution

PVC microplastics of two different size ranges had contrasting effects on lettuce roots, with smaller particles stimulating root growth and larger particles having no effect, and smaller particles also reduced photosynthetic efficiency at moderate concentrations. The study suggests that microplastic size is a key variable determining whether effects on crops are stimulatory or inhibitory.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable microplastics induce profound changes in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) defense mechanisms and to some extent deteriorate growth traits

Researchers tested the effects of biodegradable plastic microplastics on lettuce growth and found that while the plants still grew, the microplastics caused significant stress at the cellular level. The plastic particles reduced chlorophyll content, triggered oxidative stress, and forced plants to activate their defense mechanisms, which affected their weight and nutrient content. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are harmless to crops and raises questions about food quality from microplastic-contaminated soil.

2024 Environmental Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of different types and shapes of microplastics on the growth of lettuce

Researchers tested how different types and shapes of microplastics in soil affect lettuce growth in pot experiments. They found that polyvinyl chloride fragments had the most negative impact on lettuce weight and root development, while low-density polyethylene fibers showed less effect. The study indicates that the type and shape of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils matters significantly for crop health outcomes.

2023 Chemosphere 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil moisture and texture mediating the micro(nano)plastics absorption and growth of lettuce in natural soil conditions

Experiments growing lettuce in natural agricultural soil showed that microplastics and nanoplastics are taken up and transported through roots, stems, and even leaves, and that higher soil moisture accelerates this uptake and migration. Because the study used realistic soil conditions, it strengthens concerns that food crops may be accumulating plastic particles that consumers then ingest.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in agriculture: How exposure pathway (Seed, Leaf, Root) dictates phytotoxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

This study compared the phytotoxicity of polyethylene microplastics applied to lettuce via seed, leaf, and root exposure pathways, finding that root exposure caused the greatest growth inhibition and oxidative stress. The route of MP exposure significantly influenced the type and severity of toxic effects on crops.

2025 Environmental Advances
Article Tier 2

Single low-density polyethylene microplastics stress and drought co-exposure effects on lettuce (Lactuca sativa) physiology, growth, and root development

Lettuce was grown in soil contaminated with LDPE microplastics at 0.75% and 1.5% w/w, alone or combined with drought stress (20% plant available water). Drought stress had larger negative effects on growth than MPs alone, but combined exposure produced additive or synergistic reductions in biomass and physiological function.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Micro plastic driving changes in the soil microbes and lettuce growth under the influence of heavy metals contaminated soil

Researchers studied how microplastics interact with heavy metals in contaminated soil and their combined effects on lettuce growth and soil bacteria. Different types of microplastics altered soil chemistry and changed which microbes thrived, sometimes making heavy metals more available to plants. The study suggests that microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could affect both the safety and nutritional quality of leafy vegetables that people eat.

2024 Frontiers in Plant Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of plastics in terrestrial crop plants and its impact on the plant growth

This review examines how small plastic particles accumulate in crop plants and affect plant growth, finding that microplastics can enter plant tissues and disrupt physiological processes. Crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil could carry plastic particles into the food supply, raising concerns about dietary exposure.

2021 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and polymeric characterization of microplastics in composts and their accumulation in lettuce

Researchers measured microplastics in eight types of compost and then grew lettuce in the contaminated material. Municipal solid waste compost contained the most microplastics, over 16,000 particles per kilogram, and lettuce grown in it accumulated the highest levels, with measurable impacts on plant growth. The findings suggest that compost quality standards should account for plastic contamination to protect food safety.

2024 Chemosphere 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The dosage- and size-dependent effects of micro- and nanoplastics in lettuce roots and leaves at the growth, photosynthetic, and metabolomics levels

Researchers studied the effects of polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics on lettuce plants, varying both particle size and concentration. They found that particle size played a pivotal role in influencing plant growth, photosynthetic activity, and metabolic processes, with nanoplastics generally causing more pronounced effects than larger microplastics. The study suggests that the smallest plastic particles pose the greatest risk to crop health by disrupting plant physiology at multiple levels.

2024 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polyethylene particles on dibutyl phthalate toxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

Polyethylene microplastic fragments in soil reduced the uptake of the plasticizer chemical dibutyl phthalate (DBP) into lettuce roots but worsened its inhibitory effects on root growth. The complex interactions between microplastics and co-occurring chemical contaminants like phthalates can alter toxicity in unexpected ways, affecting both plant growth and the safety of food crops.

2021 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Micro (nano) plastic pollution: The ecological influence on soil-plant system and human health.

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil health, plant growth, and food quality, finding that these particles accumulate in plant root systems and can reduce crop yields and alter nutritional content. Since contaminated soil and water are increasingly delivering microplastics to food crops, these findings are directly relevant to agricultural food safety.

2021 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Recent advances on microplastics/nanoplastics interaction with plant species: A concise review

This review synthesizes research on how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with plants, finding that plastic particles in soil can interfere with root uptake, germination, and crop yields depending on the type and concentration of plastic present. The findings are particularly relevant to human health because food crops grown in microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils may absorb or accumulate plastic particles, creating a direct dietary exposure route.

2023 Malaysian Journal of Chemical Engineering and Technology
Article Tier 2

Foliar-applied polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) reduce the growth and nutritional quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

When lettuce plants were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics sprayed on their leaves, they grew significantly smaller and produced less nutritious food, with reduced essential amino acids and micronutrients. The nanoplastics were absorbed through leaf pores and could travel down to the roots, causing oxidative stress throughout the plant. This study warns that airborne nanoplastic pollution could reduce both the quantity and nutritional quality of food crops.

2021 Environmental Pollution 364 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Growth and Quality between Hydroponically Grown and Soil-Grown Lettuce under the Stress of Microplastics

Researchers compared the effects of polyethylene microplastics on lettuce grown hydroponically versus in soil, finding that both systems showed reduced ascorbic acid levels and growth impacts, though the specific responses differed between growing conditions.

2022 ACS ES&T Water 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on the soil-rhizosphere-plant system: Phytotoxicity, enzyme activity, and microbial community

Researchers tested how three common types of microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene) affect lettuce growth and soil health. All three types inhibited plant growth, disrupted antioxidant systems in the leaves, and altered the microbial communities in the soil around roots, with polystyrene and polypropylene causing the most disturbance.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 122 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Effects of microplastics polluted soil on the growth of Solanum lycopersicum L.

This study tested how microplastic-contaminated soil affects tomato plant growth, finding that higher concentrations of plastic particles in soil reduced plant height, root development, and overall crop health. The results suggest that microplastic pollution in farmland could reduce food crop yields and potentially affect the quality of the produce we eat.

2024 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH 8 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Impact of microplastics on plant physiology: A meta-analysis of dose, particle size, and crop type interactions in agricultural ecosystems

This meta-analysis of 37 studies found that microplastics significantly decrease plant biomass by 13% and chlorophyll content by 28%, while increasing oxidative stress by 20%. Higher doses and smaller particle sizes caused more damage, with particle size having a greater impact than concentration — and root activity was particularly sensitive to microplastic exposure.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations