Papers

61,005 results
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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

Integrated physiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic responses of maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) to nanoplastic-induced stress

Researchers exposed maize and soybean crops to polyethylene and polypropylene nanoplastics in soil and found that high concentrations suppressed plant growth and caused oxidative stress in both species. The nanoplastics accumulated in plant roots and disrupted normal gene activity and metabolism, with soybeans being more sensitive than maize. These findings raise concerns about food crop quality and safety as nanoplastic contamination of agricultural soil increases.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanotoxicological effects and transcriptome mechanisms of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under stress of polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics affect wheat plants at the molecular level using gene expression analysis. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted genes involved in photosynthesis, hormone signaling, and stress responses, ultimately reducing plant growth. The study provides new insights into how nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could harm crop development at a fundamental biological level.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 148 citations
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

Physiobiochemical and transcriptional responses of tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.) to different doses of polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers examined how different concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics affect tobacco plant growth at both the physiological and molecular levels. They found that higher doses caused oxidative stress, reduced photosynthesis, and triggered significant changes in gene expression related to stress responses. The study reveals that nanoplastic toxicity in plants is dose-dependent and involves complex molecular mechanisms beyond simple physical damage.

2024 Industrial Crops and Products 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular mechanisms of toxicity and detoxification in rice (Oryza sativa L.) exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics affect rice seedlings at the molecular level. They found that nanoplastic exposure significantly reduced root and shoot growth by over 50%, while triggering oxidative stress and activating genes related to both toxicity and defense responses. The study provides new insights into how crop plants respond to nanoplastic contamination at the genetic and physiological level.

2023 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 37 citations
Article Tier 2

The Oryza sativa transcriptome responds spatiotemporally to polystyrene nanoplastic stress

Researchers profiled the full transcriptome of rice roots and leaves at multiple time points during polystyrene nanoplastic exposure, finding that nanoplastics suppress photosynthesis and sugar metabolism while activating plant defense pathways — with effects differing between organs and time points in ways that suggest indirect harm via disruption of plant-microbe interactions.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics on higher plant Vicia faba

Researchers exposed fava bean root tips to polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics and found reduced biomass, increased oxidative stress, and genetic damage in the plant cells. The smaller nanoplastic particles caused more severe effects than the larger microplastics. The study suggests that plastic particle contamination in soil may threaten plant health at the cellular and genetic level.

2019 Environmental Pollution 927 citations
Article Tier 2

Discrepancy of Growth Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Soybean (Glycine max) and Mung Bean (Vigna radiata)

Researchers compared how polystyrene nanoplastics affect soybean and mung bean plants grown in water and found that both crops suffered root growth suppression, but through different biological pathways. Soybeans showed more oxidative stress at lower doses, while mung beans were more resilient and only showed significant damage at higher concentrations. The study reveals that different crop species can vary widely in their vulnerability to nanoplastic contamination.

2024 Toxics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into growth-affecting effect of nanomaterials: Using metabolomics and transcriptomics to reveal the molecular mechanisms of cucumber leaves upon exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs)

Researchers used advanced metabolomics and gene expression analysis to understand how polystyrene nanoplastics affect cucumber plant leaves. The study found that nanoplastic exposure altered key metabolic pathways and gene expression patterns, interfering with normal plant growth and physiology. The findings provide molecular-level evidence that airborne nanoplastics settling on crops could affect plant health and potentially food production.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) on the physiology and molecular metabolism of corn (Zea mays L.) seedlings

Researchers exposed corn seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes and measured effects on plant growth, photosynthesis, and molecular metabolism. They found that the nanoplastics accumulated in roots and disrupted antioxidant enzyme systems and metabolic pathways, though photosynthesis was relatively unaffected. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could subtly impair crop development at the molecular level.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 134 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of nanoplastics uptake on modulation of plant metabolism and stress responses: a multi-omics perspective on remediation and tolerance mechanisms

Researchers reviewed how nanoplastics accumulate in plant tissues and disrupt metabolism, finding that these particles impair nutrient uptake, trigger reactive oxygen species overproduction, and alter gene and protein expression, while multi-omics approaches are revealing the molecular stress-response networks that plants use to tolerate or remediate nanoplastic contamination.

2026 Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants
Article Tier 2

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular responses of Torreya grandis shoots to nanoplastic pollutant

Researchers used multi-omics analysis to examine how polystyrene nanoplastics affect Torreya grandis, an economically important tree species in China. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted the seedlings' metabolism and gene expression, particularly affecting pathways related to photosynthesis and stress responses. The study provides some of the first evidence that nanoplastic pollution can interfere with the molecular processes of higher terrestrial plants, not just aquatic organisms.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 63 citations
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

The effects of Micro/Nano-plastics exposure on plants and their toxic mechanisms: A review from multi-omics perspectives.

A multi-omics review of micro/nanoplastic effects on plants found that plastic exposure disrupts gene expression, protein function, and metabolic pathways across multiple plant systems, with potential consequences for crop yield and agricultural food safety.

2024 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots to nanoplastic treatment at seedling stage

Researchers exposed rice seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles were taken up by the roots, aided by water-transporting proteins in the plant. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, reduced root length, and disrupted carbon metabolism and hormone production in the seedlings. The study raises concerns that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could affect crop growth and potentially enter the human food supply through rice consumption.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 411 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic analysis reveals the effects of nanoplastics exposure on tea plants

Researchers used physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic analysis to assess the effects of nano/microplastics on tea plants, finding impaired photosynthesis, oxidative stress, and disrupted metabolic pathways at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study highlights risks to tea crop safety and quality from plastic pollution in agricultural soils.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics revealing the response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) exposed to polystyrene microplastics

Researchers used metabolomics to investigate how polystyrene microplastics affect rice plants through both laboratory and field experiments. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced shoot biomass in a dose-dependent manner and altered antioxidant enzyme activity, suggesting that microplastics in agricultural soil can stress crops through measurable metabolic changes.

2020 Environmental Pollution 265 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological and biochemical effects of polystyrene micro/nano plastics on Arabidopsis thaliana

Experiments on the model plant Arabidopsis showed that polystyrene nano- and microplastics reduced seed germination, stunted growth, lowered chlorophyll levels, and triggered oxidative stress in roots, with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing the most damage. These findings raise concerns about how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop health and ultimately food production.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioavailable concentration of aged polystyrene microplastics governs the phytotoxicity and metabolic reprogramming in soybean

Researchers prepared polystyrene microplastics with environmentally realistic aged characteristics via thermal annealing and tested their effects on soybean growth and metabolism. Aged microplastics caused greater phytotoxicity than pristine particles, altering multiple metabolic pathways in soybean, and the authors found that bioavailable particle concentration—rather than nominal soil concentration—was the key predictor of plant harm.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic toxicity induces metabolic shifts in Populus × euramericana cv. '74/76' revealed by multi-omics analysis

Researchers used transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling to show that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in poplar tree roots, penetrate chloroplasts in leaves causing photosynthesis disruption, and trigger a metabolic shift from normal growth to defensive flavonoid production under severe exposure conditions.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects and transcriptome mechanisms of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under stress of quinclorac and polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers found that combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and the herbicide quinclorac caused greater toxicity to rice than either stressor alone, with transcriptome analysis revealing disrupted pathways in photosynthesis, oxidative stress response, and hormone signaling.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 25 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

Unveiling the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on vascular plants: A cellular metabolomic and transcriptomic review

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics affect plant health at the cellular and genetic level, disrupting metabolism, nutrient uptake, and growth in vascular plants. Since contaminated crops are a pathway for microplastics to enter the human diet, understanding how plants absorb and respond to these particles is important for food safety.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 35 citations