Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Negative impacts of nanoplastics on the purification function of submerged plants in constructed wetlands: Responses of oxidative stress and metabolic processes

Researchers exposed a submerged aquatic plant commonly used in constructed wetlands to polystyrene nanoplastics and measured the impacts on growth, photosynthesis, and metabolism. They found that nanoplastics were absorbed and transported throughout the plant, reducing growth by up to 73 percent and disrupting key metabolic pathways including the citric acid cycle. The study suggests that nanoplastic accumulation in wetland plants could compromise their ability to purify water.

2022 Water Research 75 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of polypropylene microplastics on the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from water by Acorus calamus, Iris tectorum and functional microorganisms

Researchers investigated how polypropylene microplastics affect the ability of aquatic plants and their associated microorganisms to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water. They found that microplastic stress reduced the nutrient absorption capacity of the plants and altered the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may undermine the effectiveness of wetland-based water purification systems.

2024 Chemosphere 6 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

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

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
Article Tier 2

Tracing and trapping micro- and nanoplastics: Untapped mitigation potential of aquatic plants?

Researchers used fluorescently labeled polystyrene particles to trace microplastic and nanoplastic uptake in three aquatic plant species, finding that nanoplastics concentrated primarily in roots via apoplastic transport with bioconcentration factors up to 306, suggesting floating plants like water hyacinth may be useful for removing plastic from contaminated water.

2023 Water Research 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics interfere with the nutrient cycle in water-plant-sediment systems

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect nutrient cycling in freshwater systems containing submerged plants and sediment. They found that the microplastics significantly reduced nitrogen and carbon content in plant leaves and disrupted the microbial communities in sediment responsible for nutrient processing. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can interfere with fundamental biogeochemical cycles that maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems.

2022 Water Research 122 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insights into microplastic-mediated shifts in nitrogen metabolism and sensory quality across emergent and submerged-plant wetlands: Evidence from metagenomics and physiological indicators

Researchers exposed surface-flow constructed wetlands planted with emergent and submerged macrophytes to polystyrene microplastics and found a 12.64% reduction in total nitrogen removal in the emergent plant system, driven by shifts in nitrogen-cycling microbial communities. PS-MPs also altered sensory water quality indicators, with effects varying by plant type.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Trade-off of abiotic stress response in floating macrophytes as affected by nanoplastic enrichment

Researchers exposed water hyacinth plants to polystyrene nanoplastics at varying concentrations for 28 days. They found that while the plants removed 61-91% of nanoplastics from the water, the particles reduced plant biomass, impaired photosynthesis, and caused oxidative stress in roots and leaves. The study suggests that floating plants in constructed wetlands can help filter nanoplastics but experience significant physiological trade-offs in the process.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insights into the impact of multi-dimensional microplastic stress on nitrogen removal by heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying bacteria: A meta-transcriptomic analysis

Researchers studied how different types of microplastics affect bacteria that are used to remove nitrogen from wastewater. They found that PVC microplastics were particularly disruptive, interfering with enzyme function and gene expression needed for denitrification. The study provides molecular-level insights into how microplastic pollution could undermine biological wastewater treatment systems.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Nitrogen deposition modulates invasibility and stability of plant communities in microplastic-contaminated wetlands

A greenhouse experiment found that polyethylene microplastics combined with nitrogen deposition reduced morphological traits of invaded wetland plant communities, altering competitive dynamics between invasive and native plants.

2024 Global Ecology and Conservation 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Disturb Nitrogen Removal in Constructed Wetlands: Responses of Microbes and Macrophytes

The impact of nanosized plastics on nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands was investigated by examining microbial community responses and denitrification processes. Nanoplastics disturbed biological nitrogen removal in the wetland system, with microorganisms showing altered community structure and reduced denitrification efficiency.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 270 citations
Article Tier 2

Nitrogen supply neutralizes the nanoplastic-plant interaction in a coastal wetland

Researchers investigated how nitrogen fertilization affects plant communities exposed to polypropylene nanoplastics in coastal wetlands, finding that nanoplastics alone reduce plant biomass and alter community structure, while combined nitrogen supply can partially offset these effects — suggesting nitrogen inputs may mitigate nanoplastic stress in restored saline-alkaline ecosystems.

2024 Environmental Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on the growth of sediment-rooted macrophytes

Both nano- and microplastic particles negatively affected the growth of freshwater macrophytes in sediment-rooted experiments, with nanoplastics causing more pronounced effects at lower concentrations. The findings highlight that aquatic plants, which form the base of many freshwater food webs, are vulnerable to plastic particle pollution.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 304 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption, uptake and toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics: Effects on terrestrial plants and aquatic macrophytes

This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics interact with terrestrial plants and aquatic macrophytes, finding that many species can absorb or take up plastic particles. Both short-term and long-term plastic exposure triggered stress responses in plants, and since plants are at the base of food chains and a major part of the human diet, there is concern about plastics moving up through the food web. The findings suggest that plastic pollution could potentially affect plant productivity and broader ecosystem function.

2021 Environmental Pollution 218 citations
Article Tier 2

Warming and microplastic pollution shape the carbon and nitrogen cycles of algae

Researchers investigated how ocean warming combined with microplastic pollution affects carbon and nitrogen cycling in marine diatoms and dinoflagellates, revealing that these combined stressors alter key biochemical processes in dominant phytoplankton species.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 51 citations
Article Tier 2

The threat of micro/nanoplastic to aquatic plants: current knowledge, gaps, and future perspectives

This review summarizes what is known about how micro- and nanoplastics affect aquatic plants, including how plants absorb these particles through roots and leaves and transport them internally. Exposure can alter plant growth, photosynthesis, and interactions with other organisms, though effects vary widely depending on plastic type and concentration. The authors highlight major research gaps and call for more studies on real-world conditions rather than controlled lab settings.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring omics solutions to reduce micro/nanoplastic toxicity in plants: A comprehensive overview

This review summarizes how advanced biological analysis techniques are being used to understand how micro- and nanoplastics harm crops by disrupting water uptake, nutrient absorption, and photosynthesis. Since these tiny plastic particles accumulate in agricultural soil and can enter the food chain, the research highlights a potential pathway for microplastics to reach humans through the food we eat.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The Role of Omics Technology in Evaluating Plastic Pollution’s Effects on Plants: A Comprehensive Review

This comprehensive review examines how omics technologies (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics) are being applied to understand the molecular mechanisms by which micro- and nanoplastics damage plants, including oxidative stress, stunted growth, and disrupted soil microbiomes.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Article Tier 2

Effects of macrophytes on micro – And nanoplastic retention and cycling in constructed wetlands

This study tested how the presence of aquatic plants (macrophytes) in constructed wetlands affects the capture and cycling of micro- and nanoplastics. Researchers found that planted wetlands were significantly better at intercepting nanoplastics and also improved nitrogen and phosphorus removal even when exposed to plastic particles. The findings suggest that including macrophytes in constructed wetland designs can enhance their ability to manage plastic pollution in water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling microplastic's role in nitrogen cycling: Metagenomic insights from estuarine sediment microcosms

Researchers used metagenomic analysis to examine how polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affect nitrogen cycling in estuarine sediments. They found that microplastics altered the abundance of genes involved in key nitrogen transformation processes like nitrification and denitrification. The study reveals that microplastic pollution in estuaries may disrupt important biogeochemical cycles that support aquatic ecosystem health.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on the foraging, photosynthesis and digestive systems of submerged carnivorous macrophytes under low and high nutrient concentrations

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the carnivorous aquatic plant Utricularia vulgaris, finding that high concentrations reduced growth, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll content while increasing oxidative stress. The study also revealed that microplastics accumulated in the plant's traps and altered the associated microbial community, though higher nutrient levels helped compensate for some of the negative growth effects.

2021 Environmental Pollution 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Dominant effects of elevated CO2 over microplastics on physiological and microbial responses of submerged aquatic plants in eutrophic waters

Researchers investigated the combined effects of elevated CO2 and microplastics on submerged aquatic plants in eutrophic water, finding that elevated CO2 dominated over microplastics in determining plant physiological and microbial responses. The study highlights that climate change variables may override microplastic stress in some aquatic plant systems.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics to benthic Sargassum horneri: The role of nitrogen availability in modulating stress responses

Researchers studied how micro- and nanoplastics affect the growth and stress responses of Sargassum horneri, a common seaweed, under different nitrogen conditions. They found that both particle sizes inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis, but high nitrogen levels could partially offset some of the damage from microplastics. The study highlights that nutrient availability plays an important role in how marine plants cope with plastic pollution.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations