Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Phytotoxic effects of treated wastewater used for agricultural irrigation on root hydraulic conductivity and plant growth

Researchers conducted hydroponic experiments to test the phytotoxic effects of treated wastewater on root hydraulic conductance in maize seedlings, finding that pressurized water flow through excised roots was reduced by 25-52% within 90 minutes of exposure. The study identified wastewater components that impair plant water transport capacity when agricultural irrigation uses treated effluent.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake of Emerging Contaminants and Pathogens by Plants: Use and Impact of Wastewater

This review examines how emerging contaminants—including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens—are taken up by plants irrigated with treated wastewater. The authors find that plant uptake depends on root morphology, contaminant properties, and treatment level, and conclude that risks to food safety from wastewater reuse remain insufficiently characterized.

2025 Apple Academic Press eBooks
Article Tier 2

Biological Risks of Waste Water for Irrigation

This study examined the biological risks of using treated wastewater for irrigation, including contamination by pathogens, heavy metals, and microplastics, and the implications for agricultural sustainability and public health.

2022 CURRENT TRENDS IN NATURAL SCIENCES 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Looking into the effects of co-contamination by micro(nano)plastics in the presence of other pollutants on irrigated edible plants

This review examines the combined effects of micro- and nanoplastics with other pollutants found in treated wastewater used for crop irrigation. Researchers analyzed 19 studies and found that the joint exposure to plastics and contaminants like heavy metals or pesticides often produced different toxicity outcomes than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that using reclaimed wastewater for irrigation may expose food crops to complex mixtures of pollutants whose combined effects are still poorly understood.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Wastewater on the Soil–Plant–Atmosphere Interface: Challenges and Remediation Approaches

This review examines the wide-ranging impacts of using wastewater for agricultural irrigation, covering effects on soil health, crop safety, and greenhouse gas emissions. Among the many concerns discussed, microplastics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria emerging from wastewater reuse are flagged as growing threats requiring better monitoring and policy responses. For readers interested in microplastics, the paper highlights how irrigation with wastewater is one of the pathways by which plastic particles enter farmland soils and ultimately the food chain.

2025 Science and Society Insights 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Possible effects on plants due to microplastics in soils from wastewater effluent reuse or sewage sludge application

This book chapter reviews potential effects of microplastics on plants when microplastic-containing wastewater or sewage sludge is applied to agricultural land. The research addresses how land application of treated sewage can introduce microplastics into soil where they may affect crop growth and food safety.

2020 IWA Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

Treated wastewater irrigation: unlocking sustainability in agriculture and food security—a comprehensive review

This comprehensive review explores treated wastewater as an alternative irrigation source for agriculture in water-scarce regions. While treated wastewater can improve soil fertility and crop growth, the review notes concerns about contaminants including microplastics that can accumulate in soil and potentially enter the food chain, emphasizing the need for effective treatment technologies.

2026 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Article Tier 2

Possible effects on plants due to microplastics in soils from wastewater effluent reuse or sewage sludge application

This chapter reviews the possible effects of microplastics in soils on plant health, with particular focus on soils irrigated with reclaimed wastewater or amended with sewage sludge — two major pathways for microplastic entry into agricultural land. Evidence suggests that microplastics can affect plant growth and may alter soil properties.

2019 IWA Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

Micro/Nanoplastics in plantation agricultural products: behavior process, phytotoxicity under biotic and abiotic stresses, and controlling strategies

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics from sources like plastic mulch and wastewater contaminate agricultural crops, harming plant growth, photosynthesis, and food quality. The findings matter for human health because these plastic particles can accumulate in the fruits and vegetables we eat, carrying toxic chemicals along with them into our diet.

2025 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Irrigation Systems: A Growing Threat to Agriculture Soil and Crop Plant

This review examines how microplastics enter agricultural soil through irrigation water, where they can degrade soil quality and harm plant growth. Microplastics from wastewater, plastic mulch, and contaminated water sources accumulate in farmland and can be taken up by crops. The study highlights a growing concern that irrigated agriculture may be a major pathway for microplastics to enter the human food supply.

2025 Environmental Quality Management 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastics, heavy metals, and soil microecology under different irrigation water sources

Researchers found that using a mix of river water and treated wastewater to irrigate crops led to the highest levels of tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in soil, along with increased amounts of heavy metals like lead and chromium. These microplastics appear to help these harmful metals stick around in the soil rather than being naturally filtered out. This matters because these pollutants could potentially make their way into the food we eat, though more research is needed to understand the health risks.

2026 Applied Soil Ecology
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effects of microplastics concentration on plant root traits and biomass: Experiment and meta-analysis

This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies and combines it with laboratory experiments to show how different concentrations of microplastics affect plant root growth. The findings suggest that microplastics in soil can alter root development, which may reduce crop yields and affect the quality of the food we grow and eat.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewaters and their potential effects on aquatic and terrestrial biota

This review of over 200 studies found that microplastics from wastewater are contaminating both aquatic and land environments, especially when treated wastewater or sewage sludge is used for irrigation. The microplastics can harm fish, soil organisms, plants, and microbial communities, and they serve as carriers for other toxic pollutants. The findings highlight that wastewater is a major pathway through which microplastics reach farmland and, ultimately, human food and drinking water.

2023 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and Microplastics in Agricultural Systems: Effects on Plants and Implications for Human Consumption

This review summarizes existing research on how nanoplastics and microplastics enter agricultural soil through irrigation, plastic mulch, and sewage sludge, then accumulate in crops that people eat. The particles can also carry other harmful substances like pesticides and heavy metals into plants, raising concerns about long-term health effects from chronic dietary exposure.

2025 Microplastics 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro (nano) plastic pollution: The ecological influence on soil-plant system and human health.

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil health, plant growth, and food quality, finding that these particles accumulate in plant root systems and can reduce crop yields and alter nutritional content. Since contaminated soil and water are increasingly delivering microplastics to food crops, these findings are directly relevant to agricultural food safety.

2021 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Mitigating risks and maximizing sustainability of treated wastewater reuse for irrigation

This review examines the benefits and risks of using treated wastewater for crop irrigation, drawing heavily on Israel's experience as a world leader in this practice. While treated wastewater is a valuable water source, it can contain emerging contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens that may affect soil health, crops, and human health. The authors call for better policies and global data sharing to ensure safe reuse of wastewater in agriculture.

2023 Water Research X 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Irrigation Water Sources on Soil Fertility, Heavy Metal Accumulation in both Soil and Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Scientists found that rice grown with sewage water contains higher levels of heavy metals like cadmium, which can be harmful if eaten regularly. While this wastewater helps crops grow better by adding nutrients to soil, the toxic metals that build up in the rice could pose health risks to people who eat it. This research shows we need better monitoring of crops grown with recycled wastewater to keep our food supply safe.

2026 Plant and Soil
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
Article Tier 2

Long-term agricultural reuse of treated wastewater and sewage sludge: developing a Time to Critical Content Index for metal species

Researchers reviewed long-term effects of treated wastewater and sewage sludge reuse in agriculture, developing a framework to assess microplastic and contaminant accumulation in soils and crops over repeated application cycles.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable wastewater reuse for agriculture

Researchers reviewed the potential of treating and reusing wastewater for agricultural irrigation, noting that while less than 20% of the world's wastewater is currently treated, advanced systems could provide a stable, energy-generating water supply for farming. The main hurdle is that current treatment technologies cannot fully remove all emerging chemical contaminants, including microplastics, which may affect crops and human health.

2024 Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 142 citations