Papers

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Article Tier 2

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Can Inhibit the Allocation of Microplastics from Crop Roots to Aboveground Edible Parts

Scientists discovered that beneficial soil fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can reduce the amount of microplastics that travel from plant roots into the edible parts of lettuce. Plants grown with these fungi transported significantly fewer plastic particles to their leaves compared to plants without them. The findings suggest that natural fungal partnerships in soil could serve as a biological barrier helping protect food crops from microplastic contamination.

2023 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Migration and accumulation of microplastics in soil-plant systems mediated by symbiotic microorganisms and their ecological effects

This study found that beneficial soil fungi (mycorrhizal fungi) actually accelerate the uptake of smaller microplastics by plant roots while slowing the uptake of larger ones. The microplastics disrupted the symbiotic relationship between the fungi and plants, reducing plant nutrient absorption and growth, which matters because crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil may be less nutritious.

2024 Environment International 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbiotic system: type, size, and concentration

This review examines how different types, sizes, and concentrations of microplastics affect the symbiotic relationship between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil. The study found that low microplastic concentrations may stimulate fungal colonization, while higher levels generally inhibit it, and that biodegradable microplastics and nanoplastics tend to have stronger effects on the plant-fungal system than conventional microplastics.

2026 World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
Article Tier 2

Potential Effects of Microplastic on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

This review examines how microplastics in soil affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, finding evidence that microplastics can alter fungal colonization of plant roots, spore production, and the broader soil microbiome, with cascading effects on plant nutrient uptake.

2021 Frontiers in Plant Science 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic types and shapes on the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in different soil types

Researchers examined how different types and shapes of microplastics affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities across various soil types. The study found that microplastics alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that disrupt these beneficial fungi, which play crucial roles in nutrient exchange, soil stability, and water movement.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different microplastics on the activation of soil potassium by ectomycorrhizal fungi

This study found that both polypropylene (PP) and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics hindered the growth of an ectomycorrhizal fungus and reduced how much potassium it could release from soil for plants, with PLA being the more harmful of the two. The findings matter because mycorrhizal fungi are critical for forest nutrient cycling, and microplastic contamination of soils could quietly degrade this ecosystem service.

2026 Global NEST Journal
Article Tier 2

Potential impacts of two types of microplastics on Solanum lycopersicum L. and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Researchers investigated the potential impacts of two types of microplastics on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, examining how plastic pollution may disrupt plant-fungal symbiotic relationships in agricultural soils.

2022 Ceylon Journal of Science 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on the soil-rhizosphere-plant system: Phytotoxicity, enzyme activity, and microbial community

Researchers tested how three common types of microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene) affect lettuce growth and soil health. All three types inhibited plant growth, disrupted antioxidant systems in the leaves, and altered the microbial communities in the soil around roots, with polystyrene and polypropylene causing the most disturbance.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 122 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of naturally aged microplastics on arsenic and cadmium accumulation in lettuce: Insights into rhizosphere microecology

Researchers studied how naturally aged microplastics in soil affect the uptake of arsenic and cadmium by lettuce. At low concentrations, microplastics actually reduced heavy metal absorption and helped plant growth, but at higher concentrations they increased the amount of toxic metals taken up by the lettuce. This means microplastic-contaminated farmland could lead to higher levels of heavy metals in salad greens and other vegetables that people eat.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Different Microplastics in Soil on Nitrogen Absorption and Metabolism in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)].

Researchers conducted pot experiments comparing the effects of degradable (PLA and PBAT) and non-degradable (PE) microplastics on nitrogen absorption and metabolism in lettuce, finding that different polymer types exert distinct influences on plant nitrogen utilization pathways.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Microplastics modify plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi systems in a Pb-Zn-contaminated soil

Researchers examined how six types of microplastics affect sweet sorghum growth and soil fungal communities in soil contaminated with lead and zinc. They found that microplastics generally did not inhibit plant growth and in some cases promoted it, but they increased the uptake of heavy metals into plant shoots. The study suggests that microplastics may worsen the risks of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils by enhancing metal accumulation in crops.

2025 Applied Soil Ecology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential impact and mechanism of aged polyethylene microplastics on nitrogen assimilation of Lactuca sativa L.

Researchers investigated how aged polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect nitrogen uptake and metabolism in romaine lettuce. They found that aged microplastics, especially smaller particles, accumulated in the plants and disrupted nitrogen assimilation processes. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may affect crop nutrition and quality by interfering with how plants absorb and process essential nutrients.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance maize cadmium resistance and reduce translocation: Dependence on microplastics concentration

Researchers investigated how beneficial soil fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can help maize plants resist cadmium toxicity in soils contaminated with both microplastics and heavy metals. They found that high concentrations of polyethylene microplastics worsened cadmium toxicity, but inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi significantly improved plant growth, nutrient uptake, and photosynthesis. The study suggests that these fungi could serve as a biological tool for managing crop health in soils with combined microplastic and heavy metal contamination.

2026
Article Tier 2

The mycorrhizal symbiosis: research frontiers in genomics, ecology, and agricultural application

This review covers the latest advances in understanding mycorrhizal fungi, which form partnerships with plant roots to help them absorb nutrients and resist stress. While not directly about microplastics, mycorrhizal networks play a critical role in soil health, and research shows that microplastic contamination in soil can disrupt these beneficial fungal partnerships. Healthy mycorrhizal networks may also help buffer plants against some negative effects of soil pollutants, including microplastics.

2024 New Phytologist 187 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on rhizosphere and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of Zea mays

Researchers exposed maize to two types of polyethylene microplastics (0.1% and 0.5% w/w) in glasshouse conditions for seven weeks and measured effects on rhizosphere fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal root colonization, spore abundance, and fungal diversity were significantly reduced in a concentration-dependent manner, potentially impairing plant nutrient uptake.

2025 Ceylon Journal of Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction effects and mechanisms of microorganisms and microplastics in soil environment

This review examines how microplastics and soil microorganisms interact: microplastics disrupt soil structure, reduce water retention, and impede plant root growth, while certain bacteria and fungi can colonize and partially degrade plastic particles through a multi-step process involving colonization, fragmentation, assimilation, and mineralization. Different polymer types (PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET) attract different microbial communities, and factors like temperature, moisture, and plastic additives affect degradation rates. Understanding these interactions is key to assessing long-term soil health impacts and developing microbial strategies to reduce plastic accumulation in agricultural soils.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Effect of different types and shapes of microplastics on the growth of lettuce

Researchers tested how different types and shapes of microplastics in soil affect lettuce growth in pot experiments. They found that polyvinyl chloride fragments had the most negative impact on lettuce weight and root development, while low-density polyethylene fibers showed less effect. The study indicates that the type and shape of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils matters significantly for crop health outcomes.

2023 Chemosphere 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil and Lettuce Health: Rhizosphere Microbiome and Metabolome Responses

Researchers tested how two common biodegradable microplastics affect lettuce growth and the microbial communities around its roots. At higher concentrations, both types of biodegradable plastics inhibited lettuce growth and significantly disrupted the balance of beneficial soil microbes and plant metabolic processes. The findings suggest that even plastics marketed as biodegradable can negatively impact soil health and crop development when present in sufficient quantities.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-effects of bio-based and fossil-based microplastics: Case study with lettuce-soil system

Researchers compared the effects of bio-based (PEF) and fossil-based (PET) microplastics on lettuce growth and soil microbial communities over 21 days at multiple concentrations. They found that both types inhibited lettuce growth by reducing chlorophyll content and root development, and both altered soil bacterial community composition. The study suggests that bio-based plastics are not necessarily safer for soil ecosystems than conventional plastics when they fragment into microplastics.

2022 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polyethylene particles on dibutyl phthalate toxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

Polyethylene microplastic fragments in soil reduced the uptake of the plasticizer chemical dibutyl phthalate (DBP) into lettuce roots but worsened its inhibitory effects on root growth. The complex interactions between microplastics and co-occurring chemical contaminants like phthalates can alter toxicity in unexpected ways, affecting both plant growth and the safety of food crops.

2021 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Micro plastic driving changes in the soil microbes and lettuce growth under the influence of heavy metals contaminated soil

Researchers studied how microplastics interact with heavy metals in contaminated soil and their combined effects on lettuce growth and soil bacteria. Different types of microplastics altered soil chemistry and changed which microbes thrived, sometimes making heavy metals more available to plants. The study suggests that microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could affect both the safety and nutritional quality of leafy vegetables that people eat.

2024 Frontiers in Plant Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Addition of polyester microplastic fibers to soil alters the diversity and abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and affects plant growth and nutrition

Researchers added polyester microplastic fibers to soil microcosms and monitored changes in microbial diversity and abundance over time, finding that fibers altered soil bacterial and fungal community structure at realistic environmental concentrations.

2024 European Journal of Soil Biology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on crop nutrition in fertile soils and interaction with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Researchers found that microplastic fibers at 0.4% concentration in soil disrupted potassium, magnesium, and sulfur uptake in onions, but that inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi buffered these negative effects by enhancing nutrient availability and plant uptake.

2021 Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological responses of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to microplastic pollution

PVC microplastics of two different size ranges had contrasting effects on lettuce roots, with smaller particles stimulating root growth and larger particles having no effect, and smaller particles also reduced photosynthetic efficiency at moderate concentrations. The study suggests that microplastic size is a key variable determining whether effects on crops are stimulatory or inhibitory.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 147 citations