Papers

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Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics, arsenic, and their combined contamination on maize seed germination

Researchers studied the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and arsenic on maize seed germination. The study found that low concentrations slightly promoted germination, while higher concentrations of both contaminants significantly inhibited growth, altered antioxidant enzyme activities, and produced synergistic toxic effects when combined.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics, arsenic, and their combined contamination on maize seed germination

Researchers studied the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and arsenic on maize seed germination. The study found that low concentrations slightly promoted germination, while higher concentrations of both contaminants significantly inhibited growth, altered antioxidant enzyme activities, and produced synergistic toxic effects when combined.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Combined Pollution of Microplastics and Lead on Maize Seed Germination and Growth].

Researchers grew maize seeds in water spiked with lead and three common microplastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC) to test their combined effects on germination and early growth. All three plastics individually inhibited germination to varying degrees, but when combined with lead the effects were generally antagonistic — meaning the mixture was less toxic than each pollutant alone. These findings are important for understanding real-world soil contamination, where microplastics and heavy metals often co-occur in agricultural environments.

2023 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles increase arsenic toxicity to rice seedlings

Researchers studied how polystyrene and polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics interact with arsenic to affect rice seedling growth. They found that microplastics alone reduced plant biomass and inhibited photosynthesis, while the combination with arsenic at higher concentrations amplified the toxic effects on root activity and cell membranes. The study reveals that microplastic contamination in agricultural settings may worsen the impact of other pollutants on food crops.

2019 Environmental Pollution 444 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and joint toxicity of polymethyl methacrylate microplastics and As (V) on rapeseed (Brassia campestris L.)

Researchers evaluated the individual and combined toxicity of polymethyl methacrylate microplastics and arsenic on rapeseed plants. They found that nanoscale plastic particles were more toxic than microscale ones, and the combination of nanoplastics with arsenic produced synergistic harmful effects on germination, growth, and arsenic accumulation in plant tissues. The study raises concerns about the combined impact of microplastics and heavy metals on crop safety in contaminated farmland.

2021 Chemosphere 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and arsenic on plants: Interactions, toxicity and environmental implications

This review examines how microplastics and arsenic interact in soil and their combined effects on plant health. When both pollutants are present together, they can have amplified toxic effects on plants, affecting growth, nutrient uptake, and stress responses. Since plants absorb these contaminants from soil, the interaction between microplastics and arsenic could increase human exposure to both pollutants through food crops.

2023 Chemosphere 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic mediated arsenic toxicity involves differential bioavailability of arsenic and modulated uptake in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers examined how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddies. They found that at low arsenic levels, microplastics actually reduced arsenic uptake by rice plants, but at high arsenic concentrations the combination produced synergistic toxic effects. The study reveals that the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils is more complex than previously thought and depends heavily on contaminant concentration levels.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastic and arsenate: From the view of biochemical process in wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.)

Researchers found that when wheat seedlings were exposed to both arsenic and polystyrene microplastics together, the microplastics reduced arsenic uptake in roots but dramatically increased arsenic transport to the above-ground parts of the plant — by up to 1,000%. This combined exposure caused more oxidative stress and damage to the plants' photosynthetic systems than arsenic alone. The findings suggest that microplastics in contaminated soil could increase how much toxic metal ends up in the edible parts of crops.

2024 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics on photosynthesis, antioxidant defense systems, and arsenic accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings grown in arsenic-contaminated soils

This study tested how polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affect maize seedlings grown in arsenic-contaminated soil. Both types of microplastics changed how much arsenic the plants absorbed, with biodegradable microplastics increasing arsenic uptake in roots and shoots. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in farmland could alter how crops absorb toxic substances, potentially affecting food safety.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effect of arsenate and microplastics and its toxicity mechanism on lettuce

Researchers investigated the combined effects of arsenate and polystyrene microplastics on lettuce growth. The study found that microplastics adsorbed arsenate from irrigation water and enhanced its uptake by lettuce, with the synergistic effect causing greater oxidative stress and growth inhibition than either contaminant alone.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Combined Stress of Polyethylene and Sulfamethazine on Seed Germination, Seedling Growth, and Physiological Characteristics of Soybean].

A pot experiment found that low concentrations of polyethylene (PE) microplastics partially promoted soybean seed germination and growth, while high concentrations inhibited plant development, and that the antibiotic sulfamethazine caused dose-dependent inhibition that was partially alleviated by low-level PE co-exposure. These combined effects reveal complex interactions between microplastic and pharmaceutical contaminants in agricultural soils that affect crop productivity.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Behavior, mechanisms and hazardous changes of interactions with microplastics when heterogeneous pollutants coexist: Arsenic and thiram

Researchers studied how six types of microplastics interact with arsenic and the pesticide thiram when these pollutants coexist. They found that both contaminants adsorb onto microplastics through physical diffusion and chemical processes in a competitive and synergistic manner. While the adsorbed pollutants did not significantly increase acute environmental toxicity, the study suggests they may pose a stronger potential hazard to human health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on growth of Glycine max

This study assessed the combined toxic effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on soybean germination and seedling growth. Researchers found that smaller microplastic particles (6.5 micrometers) significantly reduced germination and vigor indices, and the combination of microplastics with cadmium produced more severe effects than either contaminant alone.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive impacts of microplastics and arsenic on agricultural soil and plant traits

This study tested how microplastics interact with arsenic, a toxic metal, in agricultural soil growing lettuce. While microplastics alone slightly promoted plant growth, combining them with arsenic significantly reduced lettuce size and health. The findings suggest that microplastics in farm soil could worsen the effects of other pollutants like arsenic, potentially affecting the safety and quality of leafy vegetables that people eat.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Iron minerals: A frontline barrier against combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic

Researchers investigated the interactions between microplastics, arsenic, and the iron mineral goethite in soil and their combined effects on wheat germination. They found that while microplastics reduced arsenic accumulation in wheat, the combination of both contaminants still impaired plant growth. The study suggests that goethite can serve as a frontline barrier that mitigates the combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic in contaminated soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nano- or microplastic exposure combined with arsenic on soil bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities

Researchers studied the combined and individual effects of arsenic and micro- or nanoplastics on soil bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities. The study found that combined pollution distinctly altered the composition of these microbial communities, with protistan communities being particularly sensitive, indicating that the co-occurrence of plastics and heavy metals in soil may have compounding ecological effects.

2021 Chemosphere 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure of maize to polyethylene microplastics and ZnO nanoparticles: Impact on growth, fate, and interaction

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles on maize growth in a pot experiment. The study found that co-exposure altered plant growth, the fate of nanoparticles in the soil-plant system, and the interaction between these two common agricultural contaminants, suggesting that microplastics can influence how other pollutants behave in crop production.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Joint toxicity of cadmium (II) and microplastic leachates on wheat seed germination and seedling growth

Researchers investigated how cadmium and chemical compounds that leach from microplastics jointly affect wheat seed germination and seedling growth. They found that microplastic leachates from PVC and polyethylene can interact with cadmium in complex ways, sometimes worsening and sometimes lessening the toxic effects on young wheat plants. The study suggests that the combined presence of heavy metals and microplastics in agricultural soils could pose risks to crop development.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics and arsenic on nutrients and microorganisms in rice rhizosphere soil

Researchers investigated how polystyrene and polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice rhizosphere soil. The study found that microplastics reduced arsenic bioavailability and altered microbial communities, while both pollutants together inhibited key soil enzyme activities and reduced available nitrogen and phosphorus, suggesting combined microplastic-arsenic pollution can impair nutrient cycling and crop growth.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 406 citations
Article Tier 2

Coexistence of microplastics and heavy metals in soil: Occurrence, transport, key interactions and effect on plants

This review examines how microplastics and heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic interact in soil, often creating combined toxic effects on plants that differ from either pollutant alone. These interactions are relevant to human health because contaminated crops can transfer both microplastics and heavy metals to people through the food supply.

2024 Environmental Research 57 citations
Article Tier 2

The joint toxicity of polyethylene microplastic and phenanthrene to wheat seedlings

Researchers studied the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the pollutant phenanthrene on wheat seedlings grown in soil. They found that microplastics alone caused dose-dependent reductions in plant growth and damaged the photosynthetic system, while the combination with phenanthrene worsened the damage. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and organic pollutants in agricultural soils may create compounding negative effects on crop growth.

2021 Chemosphere 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics change the safe production ability of arsenic-stressed rice (Oryza sativa L.) by regulating the antioxidant capacity, arsenic absorption, and distribution in rice

Researchers studied how polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination to affect rice growth and food safety. They found that the type of microplastic influenced how arsenic accumulated in different parts of the rice plant, with some combinations increasing arsenic levels in the edible grain. The findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination in agricultural soils altering how toxic metals are taken up by food crops.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insight into interactive effect of microplastics and arsenic on growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and soil health indicators

Researchers tested how different types of microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddy soil, finding that biodegradable PLA microplastics actually increased arsenic uptake by rice plants by up to 39%. In contrast, conventional polyethylene microplastics slightly reduced arsenic absorption. This is an important finding because as agriculture shifts toward biodegradable plastics, they may inadvertently increase the transfer of toxic heavy metals from soil into food crops.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and salt single or combined stresses on growth and physiological responses of maize seedlings

Researchers studied how microplastics and salt stress, individually and combined, affect the growth of maize seedlings. They found that combined exposure caused more severe damage than either stressor alone, reducing plant biomass, disrupting photosynthesis, and increasing oxidative damage. The findings are relevant to agricultural regions where plastic mulch films break down into microplastics in salt-affected soils, creating compounding stress on crops.

2025 Physiologia Plantarum 10 citations