Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

Effects of microplastics on cadmium accumulation by rice and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in cadmium-contaminated soil

Researchers studied how three types of microplastics interact with cadmium contamination in rice paddies, examining effects on plant growth, metal uptake, and soil fungal communities. They found that while microplastics generally increased cadmium availability in soil, they actually decreased cadmium accumulation in rice tissues. Notably, biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics caused more harm to plant growth and soil communities than conventional plastic types, challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 171 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium co-contamination on the soybean-soil system: Integrated metabolic and rhizosphere microbial mechanisms

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics and cadmium interact in soybean-soil systems and found that specific microplastic concentrations enhanced cadmium accumulation in roots under moderate contamination. Higher microplastic levels reduced beneficial soil bacteria like Sphingomonas and Bradyrhizobium and suppressed nitrogen-cycling functions. The study demonstrates that microplastics fundamentally alter heavy metal behavior through interconnected plant-metabolite-microbe interactions in agricultural soils.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Effects of Co-Contamination of Microplastics and Cd on Plant Growth and Cd Accumulation

Researchers investigated how two types of microplastics, high-density polyethylene and polystyrene, at various concentrations affect cadmium uptake and toxicity in maize plants grown in agricultural soil. The study found that while polyethylene alone had no significant effect, polystyrene at higher doses altered cadmium accumulation patterns, suggesting that different plastic types may interact differently with heavy metals in soil.

2020 Toxics 239 citations
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

Effects of combined microplastic and cadmium pollution on sorghum growth, Cd accumulation, and rhizosphere microbial functions

Researchers examined how different types and sizes of microplastics interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, to affect sorghum growth and soil microbes. They found that the combined pollution generally increased plant stress and cadmium uptake, with effects varying by plastic type, particle size, and concentration. The study also revealed that the pollution mixture significantly altered soil bacterial communities and key metabolic pathways involved in nutrient cycling.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on the soil-plant system: Phytotoxicity, Cd accumulation and microbial activity

Researchers tested how different microplastic types combined with cadmium affect plant growth and soil health. Aged and biodegradable microplastics increased cadmium uptake in mustard greens more than fresh conventional plastics did. The study also found that microplastics altered soil microbial activity, suggesting that plastic pollution in farmland could change how plants absorb toxic metals from contaminated soil.

2023 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Polylactic acid microplastics and earthworms drive cadmium bioaccumulation and toxicity in the soil–radish health community

Researchers examined how polylactic acid microplastics combined with earthworm activity affect cadmium uptake and toxicity in radish plants grown in contaminated soil. The combined treatment significantly increased cadmium accumulation in both roots and leaves while reducing plant biomass by approximately 75% compared to cadmium exposure alone. The findings suggest that biodegradable microplastics and soil fauna together can amplify heavy metal contamination risks in food crops.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of Sorghum Growth and Rhizosphere–Plastisphere Microbiomes to Cadmium and Polypropylene Microplastic Co-Contamination

Researchers examined how combined cadmium and polypropylene microplastic contamination affects sorghum growth and the bacterial communities in both rhizosphere soil and on the plastic surfaces. They found that co-contamination inhibited sorghum development more severely than either pollutant alone, and the bacterial community on the plastic surface was structurally simpler with lower diversity than in surrounding soil. The study suggests that microplastics in contaminated soils can serve as distinct microbial habitats that differ significantly from the native soil environment.

2026 Agronomy
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and cadmium on the soil-wheat system as single and combined contaminants

Researchers found that polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics combined with cadmium reduced wheat chlorophyll concentrations and affected soil-plant systems differently depending on pollution levels, revealing complex interaction effects between co-contaminants.

2023 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 37 citations
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

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
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyurethane microplastics combined with cadmium on maize growth and cadmium accumulation under different long-term fertilisation histories

Researchers examined how polyurethane microplastics combined with cadmium affect maize growth in soils with different long-term fertilization histories. They found that the combination of microplastics and cadmium had varying effects depending on the type of fertilizer previously used, with organic-inorganic fertilized soils showing the most pronounced changes in plant growth and cadmium uptake. The study highlights that a soil's fertilization history plays an important role in how crops respond to microplastic and heavy metal co-contamination.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter cadmium accumulation in different soil-plant systems: Revealing the crucial roles of soil bacteria and metabolism

A study found that microplastics in soil can change how much cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, is absorbed by food crops, with the effects varying depending on soil type and the amount of plastic present. By altering soil chemistry and bacterial communities, microplastics reshape how pollutants move through farmland and into the food we eat.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Plant community responses to polypropylene microplastic and cadmium co-exposure: Implications for mycorrhizal strategies in a coastal wetland

Researchers conducted a mesocosm experiment to assess how polypropylene microplastics and cadmium interact in their effects on coastal wetland plant communities. They found that the combination of microplastics and heavy metals altered soil properties, plant community composition, and root traits in species-specific ways. The study suggests that mycorrhizal strategies play a role in how different plant species respond to this combined contamination.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Microplastics promoted cadmium accumulation in maize plants by improving active cadmium and amino acid synthesis

Researchers examined how polystyrene and polypropylene microplastics interact with cadmium contamination to affect soil chemistry and cadmium uptake in maize plants across two soil types. The study found that microplastics generally promoted cadmium accumulation in maize by reducing soil pH and increasing cadmium bioavailability, with effects varying by particle size depending on the soil type.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of heavy metals and microplastics on maize grown in acid and alkaline soils inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria

Researchers grew maize in soils contaminated with combinations of biodegradable (PLA) and conventional (LDPE) microplastics and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni) in both acid and alkaline soils, with and without plant growth-promoting bacteria. The combined microplastic-heavy metal contamination reduced growth more than either stressor alone, while bacterial inoculants partially mitigated the damage in alkaline soils.

2025 PLoS ONE
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics and heavy metals on soil-plant microbial dynamics

This study examined how polyethylene microplastics interact with heavy metals in soil and found that microplastics significantly reduced plant growth while altering soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. The combination of microplastics and heavy metals disrupted nutrient cycling in the soil in ways that were different from either pollutant alone. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop nutrition and food production.

2023 Environmental Pollution 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of soil microplastic contamination on maize (Zea mays) development and microbial dynamics

Researchers grew maize (corn) in soil contaminated with varying amounts of microplastics and found that higher microplastic levels disrupted soil bacteria and fungi, caused leaf damage like yellowing and tissue death, and led to elevated heavy metals in plant tissue above safe limits. The results point to serious risks microplastics pose to crop health, soil ecosystems, and food safety.

2024 Discover Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Analyzing the impacts of cadmium alone and in co-existence with polypropylene microplastics on wheat growth

Researchers tested how cadmium and polypropylene microplastics individually and together affect wheat seedling growth, and found that their combined presence intensified negative effects on germination and early development. Cadmium alone inhibited root and shoot growth, and microplastics amplified this damage while also altering antioxidant enzyme activity in the plants. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of heavy metals and microplastics in agricultural soil may create compounding stress on crop health.

2023 Frontiers in Plant Science 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Agricultural film microplastics counteract root exudate-induced cadmium behavior changes in soil revealed by PLS-PM analysis

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics from agricultural film and root exudates interact to affect cadmium behavior in soil. The study found that while root exudates increased cadmium availability, the addition of microplastics counteracted this effect by altering soil properties, enzyme activity, and microbial community structure.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Review Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastics and typical pollutants on the soil-plant system: a mini-review

This review examines how microplastics interact with heavy metals and organic pollutants in soil and what that means for plant growth. Researchers found that certain plastic types can increase the availability of toxic metals like cadmium while also affecting how organic chemicals behave in soil. The study suggests that the combined presence of microplastics and other pollutants in agricultural soils may create compounding risks to crop health and food safety.

2024 Circular Agricultural Systems 6 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Behaviour, ecological impacts of microplastics and cadmium on soil systems: A systematic review

This systematic review examines how microplastics and cadmium interact in soil, finding that they can make each other more harmful. Microplastics can carry toxic cadmium further through soil and increase its uptake by plants, which could mean more heavy metal contamination in the food we eat.

2024 Environmental Technology & Innovation 25 citations