Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on the quality of rice grains and the metabolism mechanism

Researchers found that tiny polystyrene plastic particles (under 100 nanometers) were absorbed by rice roots and traveled up into the grain, reducing protein content by up to 29%. The smallest particles weakened the plant's natural defenses by disrupting sugar metabolism. This means microplastics in soil could be silently lowering the nutritional quality of rice that people eat.

2025 Environmental Pollution 7 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

Nanoplastic–plant interaction and implications for soil health

This review summarizes research on how nanoplastics interact with plants in soil environments, finding that these tiny particles can be taken up by roots and transported to all plant organs, including edible parts like grain. Researchers found that nanoplastics induce oxidative stress in plants, inhibiting photosynthesis and growth, and can also carry other soil pollutants into plant tissues. The study highlights significant concerns about nanoplastic contamination entering the food chain through agricultural crops.

2022 Soil Use and Management 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics are taken up by lettuce and barley under realistic soil condition

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can be absorbed by lettuce and barley plants when grown in soil, even at low pollution levels similar to what's found in the environment. The plastic particles accumulated in the parts of the plants that people eat, showing a new way these pollutants could enter our food supply. While the amounts were small, this research reveals that nanoplastics from pollution can travel from soil into our crops, which could eventually affect human health.

2026
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

Life-long impacts of nanoplastics to rice plant (Oryza sativa L.): Decreased grain yield with perturbed metallome and soil microbiome

Researchers studied how nano-sized PET plastic particles affect rice plants throughout their entire life cycle at concentrations found in real-world environments. They found that nanoplastic exposure reduced grain quality and yield, disrupted mineral nutrient balance, and significantly altered the soil microbial community. The study highlights a potential threat to global food security, since rice is a staple food for billions of people.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastic and Nanoplastic in Crops: Possible Adverse Effects to Crop Production and Contaminant Transfer in the Food Chain

This meta-analysis found that nanoplastics can be taken up by plant roots and transferred to the parts we eat, while also reducing crop yields. This means microplastic pollution in agricultural soil could affect both food safety and food production, creating a dual concern for human health.

2024 Plants 28 citations
Article Tier 2

From Soil to Table: Pathways, Influencing Factors, and Human Health Risks of Micro- and Nanoplastic Uptake by Plants in Terrestrial Ecosystems

This review traces the pathways by which micro- and nanoplastics move from soil into food crops in terrestrial ecosystems. Researchers found that plants absorb these particles through roots and atmospheric deposition, with adverse effects on plant growth and development, raising concerns about food chain contamination and human health risks from consuming affected crops.

2026 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Behavior of Microplastics and Nanoplasticsin Farmland Soil Environment and Mechanismsof Interaction with Plants

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics behave in farmland soil and how they interact with crop plants. Nanoplastics are especially concerning because they can travel through plant roots and move via internal transport systems to reach leaves, fruits, and even seeds. The review highlights that microplastic-contaminated soil could lead to plastic particles entering the human food chain through the crops we eat, though more long-term studies are needed to fully understand the risks.

2024 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Particulate plastics-plant interaction in soil and its implications: A review

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics in soil interact with plants, including uptake through roots, accumulation in plant tissues, and effects on growth, nutrient absorption, and soil microbial communities. The study highlights that these plastic particles can alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that affect crop development, raising concerns about food safety and agricultural productivity.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 93 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Microplastics affect rice (Oryza sativa L.) quality by interfering metabolite accumulation and energy expenditure pathways: A field study

Researchers conducted a field study examining how polystyrene microplastics affect rice grain quality at the molecular level using metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis. They found that microplastic exposure interfered with metabolite accumulation and energy pathways in the rice plants, ultimately reducing grain quality. The study provides real-world evidence that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can directly compromise the nutritional quality of a major food crop.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 193 citations
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

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the soil-plant nexus: Sources, uptake, and toxicity

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from plastic products and affect the soil-plant system. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be taken up by plant roots, cause oxidative stress, and negatively affect crop growth. The findings raise concerns about food safety since these particles may carry co-contaminants into the food chain.

2023 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics on the growth, transcription, and metabolism of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and synergistic effects in the presence of iron plaque and humic acid

This study examined how nanoplastics affect rice plant growth, finding that the tiny particles were absorbed by roots and entered plant cells. Nanoplastic exposure reduced important enzyme activity and protein levels in roots, disrupting normal plant metabolism. The presence of iron plaque and humic acid in the soil changed how much nanoplastic the plants took up, suggesting that real-world soil conditions play a key role in how crops are affected.

2024 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
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

Nanoplastics and Microplastics in Agricultural Systems: Effects on Plants and Implications for Human Consumption

This review summarizes existing research on how nanoplastics and microplastics enter agricultural soil through irrigation, plastic mulch, and sewage sludge, then accumulate in crops that people eat. The particles can also carry other harmful substances like pesticides and heavy metals into plants, raising concerns about long-term health effects from chronic dietary exposure.

2025 Microplastics 12 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Effect of High-Density Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride and Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastics on Seeding of Paddy

This study tested how three common types of plastic microparticles affect rice seedling growth, finding that they can interfere with early plant development. The results matter for food safety because rice is a staple crop for billions of people, and microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop yields and potentially introduce plastic particles into the food supply.

2024 Sarhad Journal of Agriculture 3 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

Translocation of nanoplastics from soil to crops impairs pollen viability with potential implications to pollinators

Researchers investigated the translocation of polystyrene nanoplastics from soil into crop plants and examined the subsequent effects on pollen viability. The study found evidence that nanoplastics taken up through roots can reach reproductive tissues and impair pollen function. The findings raise concerns about potential downstream effects on pollinator health and agricultural productivity through soil-to-plant nanoplastic transfer.

2026 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

The review of nanoplastics in plants: Detection, analysis, uptake, migration and risk

This review examines how nanoplastics are detected, analyzed, taken up by plants, and migrate through plant tissues from roots to edible parts. As nanoplastics are found in agricultural soils, understanding how they enter food crops is critical for assessing human dietary exposure.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Polylactic acid microplastics have stronger positive effects on the qualitative traits of rice (Oryza sativa L.) than polyethylene microplastics: Evidence from a simulated field experiment

Researchers found that both polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in soil affected the quality of rice grains by changing their mineral content, fatty acid profiles, and amino acid levels. Interestingly, PLA microplastics had some positive effects on grain yield and weight, while PE microplastics more significantly disrupted the nutritional composition. This study shows that microplastic contamination in farm soil can alter the nutritional quality of rice, a staple food for billions of people, even when the plants appear to grow well.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic type on growth and physiology of soil crops: Implications for farmland yield and food quality

Researchers tested how two common types of microplastics (polypropylene and polyester) affect corn, soybean, and peanut crops grown in real farm conditions. The effects varied by crop and plastic type, with polypropylene generally reducing peanut growth while polyester had milder impacts. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop yields and food quality in ways that depend on which plastics are present.

2023 Environmental Pollution 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the effects of polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations on the plant-soil-microbiota system: A two-year field trial

Researchers conducted a two-year field trial to study how polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations affect crops, soil, and microbial communities in a rice-wheat rotation system. They found that microplastics did not harm wheat growth but actually increased rice grain weight and plant height, while reducing soil nutrient levels including nitrogen and phosphorus. The study reveals that microplastics can alter soil bacterial communities and disrupt metabolic processes in ways that differ between crop seasons.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations