Papers

20 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

Is the aquatic macrophyte Landoltia punctata tolerant to high concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics?

Researchers tested whether the aquatic macrophyte Landoltia punctata can tolerate high concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics, finding that the plant showed resilience at environmentally relevant levels but experienced measurable oxidative stress and physiological disruption at higher doses. The results suggest this floating plant has moderate tolerance but is not immune to nanoplastic toxicity.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and nanoparticles on Lemna minor

Researchers adsorbed ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles onto polyethylene microplastics extracted from cosmetics and tested their combined toxicity on the aquatic plant Lemna minor, finding that while specific growth rate and chlorophyll a content were unaffected, both nanoparticle-coated microplastic combinations inhibited root growth and reduced chlorophyll b content.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Responses of individual and combined polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate nanoplastics on hormonal content, fluorescence/photochemistry of chlorophylls and ROS scavenging capacity in Lemna minor under arsenic-induced oxidative stress

Researchers exposed duckweed plants to polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate nanoplastics under arsenic-induced stress and measured effects on hormones, photosynthesis, and antioxidant responses. They found that nanoplastics altered how plants responded to arsenic toxicity, with some combinations reducing oxidative damage while others worsened it. The study reveals that nanoplastic interactions with heavy metals in plants are complex and depend on the specific plastic type involved.

2023 Free Radical Biology and Medicine 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: toxicity and tolerance in plants

Researchers reviewed how microplastics harm both land plants and water plants by disrupting their growth, nutrient uptake, and genetic function, while also triggering the plants' own defense systems in response. Understanding how plants tolerate microplastic exposure is important because contaminated crops could eventually affect human health through the food chain.

2024 Microplastics
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

Tissue-specific responses of duckweed to cadmium stress under nanoplastic co-exposure: differential accumulation and toxicity in roots and fronds

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics promoted cadmium accumulation in duckweed roots while paradoxically reducing cadmium toxicity in the fronds, revealing tissue-specific differences in how nanoplastic co-exposure modifies metal toxicity in aquatic plants.

2025 Environmental Science Nano
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

Do Polystyrene Nanoplastics Have Similar Effects on Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) at Environmentally Relevant and Observed-Effect Concentrations?

Researchers compared the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on duckweed (Lemna minor) at environmentally relevant concentrations versus the higher observed-effect concentrations typically used in studies. The study found that both positively and negatively charged nanoplastics produced different biological responses depending on concentration levels. The findings highlight the importance of testing at environmentally realistic concentrations to accurately assess nanoplastic risks to aquatic plants.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 72 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on plants in the scenario of increasing temperatures: The case of Azolla filiculoides Lam

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and elevated temperatures on the aquatic fern Azolla filiculoides. They found that higher temperatures amplified the toxic effects of nanoplastics on plant growth and photosynthetic performance. The study suggests that climate change may worsen the environmental impact of nanoplastic pollution on aquatic plant communities.

2024 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the toxic mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: A case study on Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum

Researchers exposed two submerged aquatic plant species (Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum) to PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations, finding that all three types significantly inhibited photosynthesis and growth and triggered oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic type and plant species.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 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

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on free-floating freshwater organisms, examining how co-exposure to these two pollutants interacts compared to individual exposures. Nanoplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of the antibiotic, demonstrating complex mixture effects in aquatic systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Investigating the ecotoxicological effects of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and polyethylene (PE) on the floating aquatic plant, Lemna minor.

Researchers tested the effects of dimethyl phthalate and polyethylene microplastic fragments on the aquatic plant Lemna minor, finding that while polyethylene showed limited dose-response effects, it did significantly alter chlorophyll content, while the phthalate produced more consistent toxic responses across growth parameters.

2025
Article Tier 2

Biochemical and physiological insights into Lemna minor as a remediator of multi metal–microplastic contaminated waters

This 42-day experiment tested how common duckweed (Lemna minor) responds to water contaminated with multiple heavy metals and polyethylene microplastics, finding that combined exposure severely stunted growth, depleted chlorophyll, and triggered major oxidative stress. Despite the damage, duckweed accumulated high concentrations of both heavy metals and microplastics in its tissue, suggesting potential for phytoremediation of contaminated water. Understanding how plants cope with — and absorb — these combined pollutants is important for both ecological risk assessment and developing water cleanup strategies.

2026 BMC Plant Biology
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

Nanoplastics in Duckweed: Single-Cell Responses and Recovery

This study investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on duckweed (Lemna) at the single-cell level, finding dose-dependent disruption of photosynthesis and oxidative stress responses. Notably, duckweed showed partial recovery after nanoplastic exposure ended, indicating some resilience in aquatic macrophytes.

2025 ACS Nano
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics cause growth inhibition, morphological damage and physiological disturbance in the marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica

Researchers exposed marine green microalgae to polystyrene nanoplastics and found significant growth inhibition, increased membrane permeability, disrupted photosynthesis, and visible morphological damage — including surface fragmentation and cellular rupture — at concentrations as low as 200 µg/L.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as emerging stressors in plants: biochemical and metabolic responses

This review examines how microplastics act as environmental stressors in plants, disrupting biochemical and metabolic processes including photosynthesis, antioxidant defenses, and nutrient uptake, with effects varying by polymer type, particle size, and concentration.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics distinctly impact cadmium uptake and toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana

In a study using the model plant Arabidopsis, polystyrene nanoplastics increased the uptake and accumulation of the toxic heavy metal cadmium in plant roots. The combined stress of nanoplastics and cadmium caused worse oxidative damage and growth problems than either pollutant alone. This is concerning because it means microplastics in agricultural soil could help toxic metals get into crops more easily, potentially increasing human exposure through food.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations