Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Assessment of physiological stress on plants grown in soil contaminated with microplastics

Researchers tested how three types of microplastics (PET, HDPE, and polyester) affect the growth and health of spring onion and okra plants. They found that all microplastic types reduced chlorophyll levels, increased oxidative stress, and stunted plant growth, with HDPE and polyester causing the most damage. The study highlights the potential ecological risks microplastics pose to vegetable crops grown in contaminated soil.

2025 Scientific Reports 1 citations
Article Tier 2

PET Microparticles Has Severe Toxic Effects to Arabidopsis thaliana in Hydroponic Cultivation

Researchers exposed Arabidopsis thaliana, peas, and maize to PET microparticles in hydroponic cultivation, finding that bacteria-sized PET particles caused severe toxic effects on plant growth, providing evidence that microplastic contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural crops even in the absence of soil or soil microbiota interactions.

2022 Proceedings of the World Congress on New Technologies
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Toxic effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on plants: A global meta-analysis

This meta-analysis of 101 studies found that micro- and nanoplastics negatively affect plant physiology, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) showing the strongest impact on fresh weight, chlorophyll, and reactive oxygen species. Microplastics inhibited most growth and photosynthetic indicators more strongly than nanoplastics, and exposure consistently triggered increased biochemical stress enzyme activity.

2023 Environmental Pollution 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Rhizosphere nutrient dynamics and physiological responses of Oryza sativa L. under polyethylene terephthalate microplastic stress

Researchers exposed rice (Oryza sativa) to PET microplastics and found that the particles were absorbed by roots and translocated to aerial tissues, significantly inhibiting chlorophyll production, inducing oxidative stress (with malondialdehyde increasing by 175% at higher doses), and disrupting nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus cycling genes in the rhizosphere.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic modulates lettuce root exudates and induces oxidative damage under prolonged hydroponic exposure

Researchers grew lettuce in water containing polyethylene microplastics for 28 days and found that the plastics changed the chemical signals the roots released and caused oxidative damage in the leaves. While the plants looked mostly normal on the outside, the microplastics altered the root chemistry in ways that could affect nutrient uptake and plant defense. This is relevant to human health because lettuce is widely consumed and may be grown in microplastic-contaminated water or soil.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene microplastics on Brassica rapa: Toxicity mechanism investigation

Researchers exposed the fast-growing plant Brassica rapa (related to turnip and cabbage) to polyethylene microplastics that had been degraded by sunlight, finding that the plastics stunted plant growth by up to 51% and triggered cellular stress responses. Genetic analysis revealed the microplastics disrupted the plant's immune and growth pathways, providing insight into how plastic pollution in agricultural soil could affect food crops.

2024 Emerging contaminants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological Toxicity and Antioxidant Mechanism of Photoaging Microplastics on Pisum sativum L. Seedlings

Researchers tested the toxicity of pristine and photoaged microplastics made of four different polymers (PS, PA, PE, PET) on pea seedlings. The study found that photoaged microplastics caused more harm to root growth than pristine ones, generated reactive oxygen species that worsened oxidative stress, and disrupted nutrient transport in plant tissues. These findings suggest that environmental weathering of microplastics increases their toxicity to plants through enhanced oxidative damage.

2023 Toxics 20 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of microplastic contaminated compost on the growth of rice seedlings

Researchers found that adding PET microplastics to compost significantly harmed rice seedling growth, reducing root length by 38%, plant height by 25%, and chlorophyll content by up to 55%. The microplastics appeared to interfere with nutrient uptake and photosynthesis. This is concerning because compost used in agriculture is often contaminated with plastic waste, which could reduce crop yields and potentially affect food quality.

2024 Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in lettuce triggered by microplastics-stress

Researchers grew lettuce in water containing polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles accumulated in root tips and leaf veins, causing water loss stress and changes in gene expression. The plants responded by activating stress defense systems and altering their metabolism, including increased production of protective compounds in root secretions. This study provides molecular-level evidence that microplastics can stress food crops and change their biology, raising questions about the safety and nutritional quality of vegetables grown in contaminated environments.

2023 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable microplastics induce profound changes in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) defense mechanisms and to some extent deteriorate growth traits

Researchers tested the effects of biodegradable plastic microplastics on lettuce growth and found that while the plants still grew, the microplastics caused significant stress at the cellular level. The plastic particles reduced chlorophyll content, triggered oxidative stress, and forced plants to activate their defense mechanisms, which affected their weight and nutrient content. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are harmless to crops and raises questions about food quality from microplastic-contaminated soil.

2024 Environmental Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of polyvinyl chloride microplastics on Brassica rapa

Researchers exposed Brassica rapa plants to UV-weathered PVC microplastics and found significant growth inhibition, with stem length reduced by nearly 46% and root length by 35% after 30 days. The microplastic particles blocked leaf stomata and were observed entering the plant tissue, triggering stress responses including increased enzyme activity. The study suggests that microplastics in soil can physically and chemically interfere with normal plant development.

2023 Environmental Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Researchers found that low-density polyethylene microplastics inhibited tobacco plant growth in hydroponics, with high concentrations (1,000 mg/L) reducing chlorophyll content, disrupting antioxidant defenses, and lowering overall biomass.

2022 Agronomy 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in agriculture: How exposure pathway (Seed, Leaf, Root) dictates phytotoxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

This study compared the phytotoxicity of polyethylene microplastics applied to lettuce via seed, leaf, and root exposure pathways, finding that root exposure caused the greatest growth inhibition and oxidative stress. The route of MP exposure significantly influenced the type and severity of toxic effects on crops.

2025 Environmental Advances
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene particles combined with di-butyl phthalate cause significant decrease in photosynthesis and red lettuce quality

Researchers grew red lettuce hydroponically with polystyrene microplastics and dibutyl phthalate, finding that microplastics reduced the bioavailability of the plasticizer while simultaneously decreasing photosynthetic efficiency and chlorophyll content.

2021 Environmental Pollution 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polyethylene and Polystyrene Microplastics on Oat (Avena sativa L.) Growth and Physiological Characteristics

Researchers conducted pot experiments exposing oat seedlings to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics at four concentrations and measured effects on growth and physiological parameters. Both particle types reduced shoot and root biomass in a dose-dependent manner, with polystyrene microplastics causing greater physiological disruption, particularly to chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme activity.

2025 Plants
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene terephthalate microplastic on germination, biochemistry and phytotoxicity of Cicer arietinum L. and cytotoxicity study on Allium cepa L

Researchers studied the effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics on chickpea germination and onion root tip cells at concentrations ranging from 50 to 1,000 mg/L. The study found a sharp decrease in germination rates along with biochemical changes and cytotoxic effects at higher microplastic concentrations. Evidence indicates that PET microplastics in soil can negatively affect both plant development and cellular processes.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 67 citations
Article Tier 2

The dosage- and size-dependent effects of micro- and nanoplastics in lettuce roots and leaves at the growth, photosynthetic, and metabolomics levels

Researchers studied the effects of polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics on lettuce plants, varying both particle size and concentration. They found that particle size played a pivotal role in influencing plant growth, photosynthetic activity, and metabolic processes, with nanoplastics generally causing more pronounced effects than larger microplastics. The study suggests that the smallest plastic particles pose the greatest risk to crop health by disrupting plant physiology at multiple levels.

2024 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 12 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Nano- and microplastics commonly cause adverse impacts on plants at environmentally relevant levels: A systematic review

Systematic review of 78 studies found that nano- and microplastics commonly cause adverse effects on plants even at environmentally relevant concentrations, with germination and root growth more strongly affected than shoot growth during early development. Chlorophyll levels were consistently reduced while stress indicators (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes were consistently upregulated across species.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the impact of nano-microscale polyethylene and polypropylene plastics on Nicotiana tabacum: Physiological responses and molecular mechanisms

Researchers exposed tobacco plants to polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics of different sizes and found that both types suppressed plant growth in a dose-dependent manner, with polypropylene being more toxic. The microplastics disrupted photosynthesis, triggered oxidative stress, and altered hormone signaling and defense pathways in the plants. These findings demonstrate that microplastic contamination in soil can impair crop growth at the molecular level, potentially affecting agricultural productivity.

2025 Environmental and Experimental Botany 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polyethylene particles on dibutyl phthalate toxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

Polyethylene microplastic fragments in soil reduced the uptake of the plasticizer chemical dibutyl phthalate (DBP) into lettuce roots but worsened its inhibitory effects on root growth. The complex interactions between microplastics and co-occurring chemical contaminants like phthalates can alter toxicity in unexpected ways, affecting both plant growth and the safety of food crops.

2021 Journal of hazardous materials