Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Dynamics of accumulation and multilevel biological effects of various alkyl chain phthalates and microplastics in rye: New insights into individual, physiological, and molecular perspectives

Researchers studied the combined toxicity of three phthalate esters with different alkyl chain lengths and polystyrene microplastics on rye plants, finding that MP presence amplified the phytotoxicity of longer-chain phthalates. The results demonstrate that microplastics can act as carriers that enhance the uptake and toxicity of co-occurring chemical contaminants in crops.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
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

Transcriptomic and physiological effects of polyethylene microplastics on Zea mays seedlings and their role as a vector for organic pollutants

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics cause transcriptomic and physiological changes in corn seedlings, altering gene expression related to stress responses and growth, while also serving as vectors that increase the bioavailability of organic pollutants to plant roots.

2023 Chemosphere 39 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Revealing the metabolomics and biometrics underlying phytotoxicity mechanisms for polystyrene nanoplastics and dibutyl phthalate in dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and a common plasticizer called dibutyl phthalate affect dandelion plants, both individually and in combination. They found that combined exposure significantly impaired plant growth, triggered oxidative stress, and disrupted key metabolic pathways more severely than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and plastic additives in soil may pose compounding risks to plant health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics facilitate the chemical journey of phthalates through vegetable and aggravate phytotoxicity

This study showed that polystyrene microplastics in soil can absorb and carry phthalates (harmful chemicals used in plastics) into vegetable crops, increasing the amount of these toxic chemicals in the edible parts of the plants. The combination of microplastics and phthalates together was more damaging to plant health than either pollutant alone. This is concerning for human health because it means microplastics could be increasing our exposure to toxic chemicals through the vegetables we eat.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polystyrene on di-butyl phthalate (DBP) bioavailability and DBP-induced phytotoxicity in lettuce

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes affect the bioavailability of the plasticizer di-butyl phthalate and its toxicity to lettuce plants. They found that smaller nanoscale polystyrene particles increased DBP uptake by the plants, while larger particles reduced it by adsorbing the chemical. The study demonstrates that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful chemicals in agricultural soils, with particle size determining whether they amplify or reduce pollutant exposure to crops.

2020 Environmental Pollution 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic Insights into the Effects of Aged Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Toxicity of Cadmium to Triticum Aestivum

This study examined how aged polystyrene nanoplastics interact with the heavy metal cadmium to affect wheat plants. Researchers found that the aging process increases the nanoplastics' ability to absorb cadmium, which can alter how the metal is taken up by crops, raising questions about combined contaminant exposure through the food supply.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptome mechanisms of dandelion under stress of polystyrene and dibutyl phthalate and quantitative tracing of nanoplastics

Researchers traced how polystyrene nanoplastics move through dandelion roots via apoplastic pathways and the xylem, finding that co-exposure with the plasticizer dibutyl phthalate reduces particle accumulation but increases translocation to shoots, while transcriptomics revealed disruption of photosynthesis and hormone signaling pathways.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The impacts of nanoplastic toxicity on the accumulation, hormonal regulation and tolerance mechanisms in a potential hyperaccumulator - Lemna minor L.

Researchers studied the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the freshwater plant Lemna minor, a species used extensively in phytoremediation. The study found that nanoplastic exposure affected plant growth and triggered hormonal responses, while also revealing tolerance mechanisms that the plant employs to cope with nanoplastic stress.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Carrier effects of microplastics in a hydroponic system: Amplifying diethyl phthalate toxicity and endophytic dysbiosis in Rye (Secale cereale L.) with implications for aquatic ecosystems

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics and diethyl phthalate (a common plasticizer) interact synergistically to cause severe toxicity in hydroponically grown rye, far exceeding the damage from either pollutant alone. The study revealed a bidirectional mechanism where microplastics adsorb the plasticizer while the plasticizer enhances microplastic uptake by roots, leading to photosynthetic collapse and disrupted endophytic microbial communities.

2026 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) on seed germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Researchers exposed wheat seeds and seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that while germination rates were unaffected, root growth increased significantly compared to controls. However, the nanoplastics were taken up by the roots and transported to the shoots, reducing micronutrient absorption and altering key metabolic pathways related to energy and amino acid production. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can fundamentally change how crop plants grow and process nutrients.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 667 citations
Article Tier 2

Do polystyrene nanoplastics affect the toxicity of cadmium to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)?

Researchers investigated whether polystyrene nanoplastics affect the toxicity of cadmium to wheat plants. The study found that nanoplastics could alter how cadmium interacts with wheat, potentially modifying the uptake and toxic effects of the heavy metal, suggesting that the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils may create complex interactions affecting crop health.

2020 Environmental Pollution 266 citations
Article Tier 2

Do nanoplastics impact Pb up-taking by Hordeum vulgare L.?

This study used the RHIZOtest system to investigate how polystyrene nanoplastics affect lead uptake in barley plants, finding that nanoplastics reduced lead bioaccumulation by adsorbing the metal and reducing its bioavailability to roots. At the highest lead concentrations, the adsorption effect was most pronounced.

2024 NanoImpact 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined cytotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and phthalate esters on human lung epithelial A549 cells and its mechanism

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and common plasticizer chemicals (phthalate esters) on human lung cells. At lower nanoplastic concentrations, the particles actually reduced the toxicity of the plasticizers by adsorbing them, but at higher concentrations nanoplastics dominated and worsened overall cell damage. The study identified oxidative stress and inflammation as key mechanisms driving the combined toxic effects on lung tissue.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro and nanoplastics pollution: Sources, distribution, uptake in plants, toxicological effects, and innovative remediation strategies for environmental sustainability

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics enter plants through roots, disrupt growth and photosynthesis, and cause oxidative stress that reduces crop yields. Because these plastic particles can move through plant tissues and into edible parts, they represent a potential pathway for microplastics to enter the human food supply.

2024 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 62 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Impact of polystyrene microplastics on cadmium uptake in corn (Zea mays L.) in a cadmium‐contaminated calcareous soil

This study found that polystyrene microplastics in soil increased the uptake of the toxic heavy metal cadmium in corn plants. The research showed that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil can make crops absorb more harmful substances. This is a direct concern for food safety, as microplastics in farmland could increase our exposure to heavy metals through the food we eat.

2023 Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy 21 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined contamination of nano-polystyrene and nanoAg: Uptake, translocation and ecotoxicity effects on willow saplings

Researchers studied how nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles interact and affect willow saplings in a hydroponic experiment. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics can penetrate plant roots and travel to branches and leaves through xylem ducts, and that co-exposure with silver nanoparticles alters the plants' physiological and biochemical responses.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Membrane Lipid Remodeling Modulated Maize Response to Environmentally Relevant Atmospheric Nanoplastics

Researchers exposed maize leaves to polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface modifications at environmentally relevant doses and found that amino-modified particles caused the strongest growth inhibition. All nanoplastics entered the leaves through stomata and accumulated in a dose-dependent manner, significantly suppressing the production of 31 membrane lipids involved in cell structure and signaling. The study reveals that atmospheric nanoplastics can disrupt membrane lipid metabolism in crops, providing molecular-level evidence of how airborne plastic particles may affect agricultural plants.

2026 ACS Nano
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