Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic/nanoplastic toxicity in plants: an imminent concern

This review examines the growing body of research on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect terrestrial plants, from root uptake to changes in growth and gene expression. Researchers found that these particles can alter plant physiology and biochemistry at varying degrees depending on particle size and concentration. The study calls for more research on how plastic contamination in soil may ultimately affect food crop quality and human health through the food chain.

2022 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances on Multilevel Effects of Micro(Nano)Plastics and Coexisting Pollutants on Terrestrial Soil-Plants System

This review systematically summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics, alone and combined with co-existing pollutants, affect soil properties and terrestrial plants at multiple biological levels. Researchers found that microplastics can serve as carriers for heavy metals, organic contaminants, and biological pollutants, with their specific impacts depending on polymer type, size, shape, and concentration. Evidence indicates that plants can take up and transport micro- and nanoplastics, leading to effects on growth, metabolism, and even DNA damage.

2023 Sustainability 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Terrestrial Systems

This review summarizes the current understanding of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems, which have received far less research attention than aquatic environments. Researchers examined how these particles enter soils through agricultural practices, sewage sludge application, and atmospheric deposition, and how they affect soil organisms and plant growth. The study highlights that terrestrial systems may be a major reservoir of plastic pollution with ecological consequences that are only beginning to be understood.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil environment and land plant growth: a review

This review examines how microplastics affect soil quality and plant growth through both direct toxicity and indirect changes to soil properties. Researchers found that microplastics can accumulate in plant tissues after entering the soil and may transfer through the food chain. The study highlights that soil microplastic contamination is a growing ecological concern that remains understudied compared to marine environments.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of the toxic effect of microplastics on terrestrial and aquatic plants

This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect both terrestrial and aquatic plants, finding that their toxicity depends on the type, size, and surface chemistry of the plastic particles. Researchers found that seeds and root systems are particularly vulnerable to microplastic exposure, and that the harmful effects differ between land and water plants. The study also highlights that chemicals released from or adsorbed onto microplastics pose additional secondary risks to plant health.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 229 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics on terrestrial food web from plants to human beings

This review examined the ecotoxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics across the terrestrial food web, from plants to humans. Researchers found that plants can take up these particles through roots and leaves, soil organisms are affected by altered soil properties, and the potential for transfer through the food chain raises concerns about human dietary exposure to micro- and nanoplastics.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on terrestrial ecosystems: A plant-centric perspective

This review focuses on how microplastics affect plants and soil health in agricultural settings, an area that has received less attention than marine microplastic pollution. The researchers describe how microplastics can alter soil structure, disrupt microbial communities, and enter plant tissues through unique transport mechanisms. The study highlights that agricultural soils are a major sink for microplastics, with potential consequences for food safety and crop productivity.

2024 Environmental Pollution and Management 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics on terrestrial plants: A critical review

This review examines how microplastics affect land-based plants, finding that they can alter soil structure, disrupt beneficial soil microbes, and reduce plant growth. Microplastics also carry toxic chemicals like plasticizers and heavy metals that can be taken up by plant roots and enter the food chain. The findings raise concerns about human health since contaminated crops could be a hidden source of microplastic and chemical exposure in our diets.

2024 Land Degradation and Development 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro(nano)plastics on higher plants and the rhizosphere environment

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect higher plants and the soil environment around their roots. Researchers found that these particles can be absorbed through roots and transported to other plant tissues, causing oxidative stress and disrupting photosynthesis, metabolism, and gene expression. The study highlights that plastic pollution in soil threatens not only plant health but also the broader rhizosphere ecosystem that supports agriculture.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 183 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Micro/Nanoplastics on Crop Physiology and Soil Ecosystems: A Review

This review synthesized evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics affect crop physiology and soil ecosystems, covering how plastic particles enter plants via roots, disrupt soil microbiota, and impair crop growth through oxidative stress, nutrient cycling disruption, and physical root interference. The authors found that nanoplastics pose greater plant risks than microplastics due to their ability to cross cell membranes.

2025 Soil Systems
Article Tier 2

Microplastics interaction with terrestrial plants and their impacts on agriculture

This review summarizes what is known about how microplastics interact with terrestrial plants, including how they are taken up, transported through plant tissues, and affect growth and agricultural productivity. Researchers note that while marine microplastic research is extensive, studies on soil ecosystems and crop impacts remain limited. The study highlights the need for more research on how microplastics in agricultural soils may ultimately affect food safety and human health.

2021 Journal of Environmental Quality 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Plants and microplastics: Growing impacts in the terrestrial environment

This review examines how microplastics affect plant growth and food crops, finding that exposure generally reduces plant size, chlorophyll content, and photosynthesis, though low concentrations can sometimes stimulate root growth. Plants can take up plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer through their roots and move them to other tissues. These findings raise concerns that microplastics in soil, which can occur at higher levels than in water, could affect the health and nutritional quality of the food crops that people depend on.

2025 Frontiers in Plant Science 9 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Effects of nano- & microplastics on terrestrial plants are ubiquitous and widespread: a systematic review

This systematic review finds that nano- and microplastics have widespread negative effects on plants, including reduced germination, stunted growth, and biochemical stress responses. Since plants form the base of our food supply, these findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could affect crop health and potentially the quality of food we eat.

2023 CNR ExploRA
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Ecotoxicological effects of plastics on plants, soil fauna and microorganisms: A meta-analysis

Meta-analysis of 2,936 observations from 140 studies found that plastics caused substantial detrimental effects to plants and soil fauna, but had less impact on microbial diversity. Larger plastics (>1 um) impaired plant growth and germination while nanoplastics primarily increased oxidative stress, and soil fauna reproduction and survival were more adversely affected by smaller particles.

2022 Environmental Pollution 52 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

Particulate plastics-plant interaction in soil and its implications: A review

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics in soil interact with plants, including uptake through roots, accumulation in plant tissues, and effects on growth, nutrient absorption, and soil microbial communities. The study highlights that these plastic particles can alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that affect crop development, raising concerns about food safety and agricultural productivity.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro and nano-plastics on environmental health: a review on future thrust in agro-ecotoxicology management

This review examines the growing body of evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect plant health, soil microbial communities, and agricultural productivity. The study highlights that plastic accumulation in agricultural soils can alter crop growth and yield while disrupting soil ecosystem dynamics, and calls for greater attention to agro-ecotoxicology management to address these emerging threats to food production.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the terrestrial environment: A critical review

This review summarizes what is known about microplastic contamination in land-based environments, covering sources, fate, and effects on soil and the organisms that depend on it. Microplastics in soil can interact with pesticides, heavy metals, and other pollutants, acting as carriers that move toxins through the food web and potentially up to humans. The authors note that compared to ocean research, the effects of microplastics on land ecosystems are much less studied and urgently need more attention.

2022 Environmental Research 348 citations
Article Tier 2

Are nanoplastics potentially toxic for plants and rhizobiota? Current knowledge and recommendations

This review evaluates whether nanoplastics — the smallest plastic fragments, formed as larger plastics break down — are toxic to plants and the microorganisms living around their roots (rhizobiota). The evidence suggests nanoplastics can directly impair plant growth and indirectly harm soil biology by altering soil chemistry and releasing associated contaminants. Because soil is becoming a major reservoir for plastic pollution, understanding these effects is critical for global food security and soil ecosystem health.

2023 NanoImpact 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological Impact of Microplastics in the Terrestrial Ecosystem

This review examines how microplastics from packaging, automotive, and electronics industries accumulate in terrestrial ecosystems and affect soil health, plant growth, and wildlife. The authors assess the slow degradation rates and transformative fate of plastic particles in the terrestrial food web.

2024