Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Metal Release from Microplastics to Soil: Effects on Soil Enzymatic Activities and Spinach Production

This study assessed how metals released from biodegradable and polyethylene microplastics affect soil enzyme activity and spinach growth, finding that metal release from both plastic types reduced soil enzymatic function and spinach yield at higher concentrations.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic and copper applications on chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in kale and tomato

Researchers investigated the individual and combined effects of microplastics and copper on kale and tomato plants, measuring impacts on chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment content to assess how co-contamination of agricultural soils affects crop physiology.

2025 Journal of Agricultural Faculty of Gaziosmanpasa University
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Low-density Polyethylene Microplastics on the Growth and Physiology Characteristics of Ipomoea aquatica Forsk].

Researchers grew water spinach in soil spiked with low-density polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations and found that even moderate doses reduced germination rates, stunted growth, and disrupted photosynthesis. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could threaten food crop yields and quality.

2023 PubMed 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing Microplastic-Induced Changes in Sandy Soil Properties and Crop Growth

Adding three types of microplastics (HDPE, PVC, polystyrene) at 5% by weight to sandy soil increased water repellency and reduced hydraulic conductivity, but did not significantly affect the total biomass or photosynthesis efficiency of radishes grown in that soil. However, microplastic contamination did reduce copper, magnesium, and iron concentrations in crop tissue for some polymer types. The results suggest that sandy soils may be particularly prone to microplastic-induced hydrological changes, with subtle effects on crop mineral nutrition that could matter at larger scales.

2023 AgriEngineering 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Mediated Heavy Metal Uptake in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.): Implications for Food Safety and Agricultural Sustainability

Researchers grew lettuce in contaminated soil mixed with different types of microplastics, including fibers, glitter, and fragments from bags and bottles. They found that microplastics altered how heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and copper moved through the soil and into the plants, sometimes increasing uptake of toxic metals in roots while decreasing others in leaves. The results raise concerns about food safety in agricultural areas where both microplastic and heavy metal contamination overlap.

2025 Molecules 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential impact of polyethylene microplastics on the growth of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica F.): Endophyte and rhizosphere effects

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the growth of water spinach, a widely consumed vegetable. The microplastics altered both the root-zone soil bacteria and the beneficial microbes living inside the plant, with effects varying by particle size. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could indirectly affect crop health by disrupting the microbial communities plants depend on.

2023 Chemosphere 45 citations
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

Translocation and chronic effects of microplastics on pea plants (Pisum sativum) in copper-contaminated soil

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics affect pea plants grown in copper-contaminated soil over a full growing season. They found that the combination of nanoplastics and copper reduced crop yield, impaired nutritional quality, and that nanoplastic particles were taken up and transported throughout the plant tissues. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in polluted agricultural soils may compound existing threats to crop productivity and food safety.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 98 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

Spatial distribution and impacts of microplastics on potato growth and yield in agroecosystems in Sialkot, Pakistan

Soil and plant samples from 10 agricultural fields in Sialkot, Pakistan showed widespread microplastic contamination dominated by LDPE (22%), HDPE (18%), and polystyrene (12%), with potato yield negatively correlated with MP contamination levels and reduced uptake of zinc, copper, nickel, and sodium.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Different effects and mechanisms of polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics on the uptake of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Researchers investigated how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect the uptake of heavy metals by lettuce grown in contaminated soil. They found that nanoplastics increased the accumulation of copper and zinc in lettuce leaves, while microplastics had the opposite effect for some metals. The study reveals that plastic particle size plays a critical role in determining whether microplastics worsen or reduce heavy metal contamination in food crops.

2022 Environmental Pollution 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential Responses of Spinach Cultivars to Micro-Nanoplastic Stress Under Hydroponic and Soil Cultivation Conditions

Researchers exposed two spinach cultivars to six concentration gradients of polyvinyl chloride micro-nanoplastics under hydroponic and soil cultivation conditions, finding that low to moderate concentrations had differing effects on germination characteristics, sprout morphology, and antioxidant capacity between cultivars.

2025 Horticulturae
Article Tier 2

Coupled Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics and Cadmium on Soil–Plant Systems: Impact on Soil Properties and Cadmium Uptake in Lettuce

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics interact with cadmium contamination in soil and its effects on lettuce growth. The study found that microplastics combined with cadmium significantly decreased soil quality and that microplastics can alter cadmium uptake in plants, suggesting that co-contamination of agricultural soils with both pollutants may pose compounded risks to food crop safety.

2025 Toxics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of composite microplastics on soil properties and the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Chinese cabbage

A pot experiment exposing Chinese cabbage to combinations of polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, and polyolefin microplastics found that composite microplastic mixtures altered soil properties and disrupted plant physiological and biochemical processes more than individual plastics alone.

2025 Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and cadmium co-contamination on soil properties, maize (Zea mays L.) growth characteristics, and cadmium accumulation in maize in loessial soil-maize systems

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on soil properties and maize growth through pot experiments. They found that microplastics altered soil nutrient availability and, depending on size and concentration, either increased or decreased cadmium uptake by the plants. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can change how crops absorb toxic heavy metals, with potential implications for food safety.

2024 Environmental Pollution 27 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastics-Plants on the Bioavailability of Copper and Zinc in the Soil of a Sewage Irrigation Area

Researchers examined how different concentrations of microplastics affect the bioavailability of copper and zinc in sewage-irrigated soils, finding that microplastics can alter heavy metal mobility and plant uptake, with implications for food safety in contaminated agricultural areas.

2023 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on bioaccumulation of heavy metals in rape (Brassica napus L.)

Researchers found that microplastics influenced the bioaccumulation of copper and lead in rapeseed plants, with effects varying by microplastic concentration and heavy metal type, revealing how plastic pollution may alter contaminant uptake in crops.

2021 Chemosphere 165 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soil differentially interfere with nutritional aspects of chilli peppers

Growing chilli peppers in soil contaminated with five different microplastic types — including PVC, PS, HDPE, LDPE, and PET — significantly reduced nutritional quality, with PVC causing the greatest losses in protein, vitamins A and B6, and fatty acids. This research demonstrates a direct pathway by which soil microplastic pollution could degrade the nutritional value of food crops, with implications for food security and human health.

2023 South African Journal of Botany 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on dry matter content in Lactuca sativa L.

This study tested the effects of microplastic particles on dry matter content in lettuce plants, finding that microplastic exposure affected plant biomass production. As agricultural soils accumulate microplastics, their effects on crop yield and nutritional quality become important food safety concerns.

2023 International Journal of Science Letters
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Revealing the Combined Effects of Microplastics, Zn, and Cd on Soil Properties and Metal Accumulation by Leafy Vegetables: A Preliminary Investigation by a Laboratory Experiment

This laboratory study examines how microplastics combined with heavy metals like zinc and cadmium affect soil health and leafy vegetable growth. The findings suggest that microplastics can alter how metals accumulate in lettuce and other greens, potentially increasing the levels of toxic substances in the vegetables people eat.

2023 Soil Systems 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on growth, photosynthesis and essential elements in Cucurbita pepo L.

Researchers grew squash plants in soil contaminated with four common types of microplastics and found that all four impaired plant growth, especially in the shoots and leaves. PVC was the most toxic, reducing leaf size, photosynthesis, and iron uptake more than the other plastic types. These findings raise concerns that microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could reduce crop yields and potentially introduce plastics into the food chain.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 361 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake, Distribution, and Impact of Micro- and Nano-Plastics in Horticultural Systems Using Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as a Model Crop

Researchers studied how micro- and nanoplastics are taken up and distributed in lettuce grown in horticultural systems, finding that nanopolystyrene exposures significantly inhibited leaf and root development in a concentration-dependent manner. They optimized extraction methods for quantifying microplastics in soil and developed a synthesis procedure for nanoplastic test particles. The study demonstrates that plastic fragments from horticultural materials can accumulate in soil and affect crop growth, raising concerns about food safety.

2026
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

Effect of co-presence of cadmium or procymidone with microplastic films in soil on lettuce growth

Pot experiments growing lettuce in soil contaminated with cadmium or the fungicide procymidone alongside LDPE or PVC microplastic films found that co-presence of microplastics with chemical contaminants produced subtle but measurable effects on plant growth. This matters because agricultural soils frequently contain both microplastics and chemical pollutants simultaneously, and their combined effects on food crops may differ from what single-contaminant studies would predict.

2023 Applied Biological Chemistry 12 citations