Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplstic and Lead Toxicity on the Terrestrial Plants: a Critical Review

This review examines the toxic effects of microplastics and lead on terrestrial plants, synthesizing evidence that MPs modify soil physicochemical properties and enzymatic activity while lead disrupts root and shoot biomass, leaf development, and growth tolerance. Combined microplastic-lead exposure is found to be more damaging than either stressor alone, with implications for agricultural productivity in contaminated soils.

2025 International Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Allied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Combined Phytotoxicity of Microplastics andLead on the Growth and Physio-BiochemicalCharacteristics of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Researchers grew tobacco plants in soil contaminated with both polyethylene microplastics and lead, finding that the combination caused greater damage to photosynthesis and plant growth than either pollutant alone, while microplastics partially reduced how much lead roots absorbed. The study shows that microplastic and heavy metal co-contamination — increasingly common in agricultural soils — poses compounding risks to crop health.

2025 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
Article Tier 2

An Impact Of Microplastic And Microplastic + Lead Induced Toxicity On Growth Parameters And Chlorophyll Content Of Tomato Plant: (Comparison Study)

Researchers grew tomato plants in soil spiked with polyethylene microplastics alone and combined with lead nitrate at multiple concentrations to compare their toxicity. Both treatments reduced shoot length, fresh and dry weight, and chlorophyll content in a dose-dependent manner, with the combined microplastic-plus-lead treatment causing more severe harm than either pollutant alone.

2025 African Journal of Biomedical Research
Article Tier 2

The interfacial interaction between typical microplastics and Pb2+ and their combined toxicity to Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers found that microplastics in freshwater can absorb lead (a toxic heavy metal) onto their surfaces, especially after being weathered by UV light. When combined, the microplastics and lead were more toxic to freshwater algae than either pollutant alone, with PET plastic showing the highest capacity to bind lead. This means microplastics in rivers and lakes may concentrate heavy metals and deliver higher doses of toxins to aquatic life and potentially to people through the water supply.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of microplastics and lead on the freshwater algae Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers tested the individual and combined effects of microplastics and lead (Pb) on the growth, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant responses of the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. They found that microplastics alone inhibited growth while low-dose Pb promoted it, but their combination altered toxicity outcomes in complex ways depending on concentration, indicating that co-exposure risks in freshwater cannot be predicted from single-contaminant studies.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity mechanism of microplastics on the growth traits and metabolic pathways of Vallisneria natans under different light environments

Researchers examined how microplastics affect the aquatic plant Vallisneria natans under different light conditions and found that strong light significantly increased microplastic accumulation on leaves and roots. The combination of high light and microplastics caused the most severe disruption to photosynthesis, energy metabolism, and triggered elevated oxidative stress. The findings suggest that environmental conditions like light intensity can amplify the harmful effects of microplastic pollution on freshwater plants.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity effects of microplastics and lead(II) ion co-exposure on Chlorella: Protein- and enzyme-level responses

Researchers examined the combined toxic effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics with lead ions on the freshwater alga Chlorella, focusing on protein and enzyme-level responses. They found that co-exposure altered protein expression and enzymatic activity in ways that differed from single-pollutant exposure. The study highlights that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to produce complex biomolecular responses in aquatic organisms.

2026 Asian Journal of Water Environment and Pollution
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

Biological effects of microplastics contaminated by heavy metals on greater duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza

Researchers investigated the biological effects of microplastics contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals — copper, lead, and zinc — on the aquatic macrophyte greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza), measuring growth rate and physiological parameters. The study found that metal-adsorbing microplastics posed greater phytotoxic stress than clean microplastics, highlighting the combined hazard of plastic and metal co-contamination.

2024 Repository of the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Meta-analysis reveals the combined effects of microplastics and heavy metal on plants

A meta-analysis of 57 studies found that the combined toxicity of microplastics and heavy metals on plants is driven primarily by the heavy metals, while microplastics mainly interact by inducing oxidative stress damage. Microplastic biodegradation emerged as a core factor influencing heavy metal accumulation in plants, with culture environment, heavy metal type, exposure duration, and microplastic concentration and size all playing roles.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics increase the adverse impacts of lead on the growth, morphological structure and photosynthesis of marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica

Combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and lead was found to have greater adverse effects on marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica growth, morphology, and photosynthesis than lead alone, indicating nanoplastics can amplify heavy metal toxicity in marine primary producers.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Individual and combined impact of microplastics and lead acetate on the freshwater shrimp (Caridina fossarum): Biochemical effects and physiological responses

Freshwater shrimp exposed to polyethylene microplastics combined with lead showed significantly worse toxic effects than when exposed to either pollutant alone, with microplastics increasing how much lead accumulated in the shrimp's tissues. This demonstrates that microplastics can act as carriers that amplify the toxicity of heavy metals in aquatic food chains, potentially increasing human exposure to dangerous metals through seafood.

2024 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics exposure on the photosynthesis system of freshwater algae

Researchers investigated how polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the photosynthesis system of freshwater algae and found that both types reduced chlorophyll content and impaired photosynthetic efficiency. The damage was concentration-dependent and worsened over the growth period. The study highlights that microplastic pollution in freshwater can harm algae, which form the base of aquatic food chains.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 416 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of microplastic and lead trigger physiological and biochemical impairment in a mangrove crab

Researchers exposed mangrove fiddler crabs to microplastics and lead, both alone and in combination, to assess their joint toxic effects. They found that co-exposure synergistically increased lead bioaccumulation, oxygen consumption, and lipid peroxidation while suppressing antioxidant enzyme activity. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the physiological harm of heavy metal contamination in sensitive mangrove ecosystems.

2023 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 12 citations
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

Interactive effects of polystyrene microplastics and Pb on growth and phytochemicals in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.)

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and lead on mung bean plants. They found that when both pollutants were present together, the damage was more severe, reducing plant weight, impairing photosynthesis, and disrupting chlorophyll production and enzyme activity. The study suggests that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to create amplified harmful effects on crop plants in contaminated agricultural environments.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 56 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Microplastics and Heavy Metals Individually and in Combination on the Growth of Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatic) and Rhizosphere Microorganisms

Researchers tested how combinations of microplastics and heavy metals (cadmium and lead) affect the growth of water spinach and the microbial communities in its root zone. They found that all three stressors individually inhibited plant growth, and combining microplastics with heavy metals intensified the toxic effects while reducing the availability of essential soil nutrients. The study suggests that microplastic-heavy metal interactions in agricultural soils may pose compounding risks to both crop health and soil ecosystem function.

2025 Agronomy 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polypropylene microplastics and lead (Pb) contamination on soil properties and the growth response of Ficus Benjamina

Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics and lead contamination together cause greater harm to soil chemistry and plant growth than either contaminant alone, with Ficus plants showing significantly reduced leaf area, root length, and total biomass when exposed to both. Microplastics also lowered soil pH and depleted essential nutrients, compounding the toxic effects of the heavy metal.

2025 Discover Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Assessing phytotoxicity of microplastics on aquatic plants using fluorescent microplastics

Researchers tested the effects of tiny fluorescent microplastics on three types of aquatic plants and found that two species showed significantly reduced biomass after three weeks of exposure. They confirmed through laser fluorescence detection that the plants took up the microplastic particles. The study provides early evidence that microplastics can be directly harmful to aquatic plant growth, an area that has received limited research attention.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Phytotoxic effects of polyethylene microplastics combined with cadmium on the photosynthetic performance of maize (Zea mays L.)

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics combined with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, affect photosynthesis in two varieties of maize. They found that microplastics generally worsened cadmium's negative effects on the plants' ability to capture light energy and convert it to growth, though responses differed between maize varieties. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in agricultural soils could amplify the harm caused by heavy metal contamination to crop productivity.

2023 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 23 citations