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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Natural Aging IntensifiesMicroplastic Phytotoxicityin Brassica chinensis
ClearNatural Aging Intensifies Microplastic Phytotoxicity in Brassica chinensis
Researchers compared the effects of pristine and naturally aged polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics on Chinese cabbage growth and soil health over a 45-day experiment. They found that aged microplastics with oxidized surfaces caused significantly more plant damage, reducing biomass and chlorophyll content more than their pristine counterparts. The study suggests that as microplastics weather in agricultural soils, they may become increasingly harmful to crops.
Aging increases the phytotoxicity of polyethylene and polypropylene to Lactuca Sativa L. compared to original microplastics
This study found that microplastics from polyethylene and polypropylene become more toxic to lettuce plants after aging in the environment, reducing plant growth by roughly 25-28% compared to fresh plastic particles. The aged plastics disrupted the soil around plant roots, blocking nutrient absorption and interfering with key metabolic processes. This matters because most microplastics in farm soil have been weathered over time, meaning their real-world effects on food crops may be worse than lab studies using new plastics suggest.
Naturally aged polylactic acid microplastics stunted pakchoi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) growth with cadmium in soil
Researchers investigated the combined effects of naturally aged polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics and cadmium on pakchoi growth in soil. The study found that aged PLA microplastics were more detrimental than virgin ones, and the combination with cadmium further stunted plant growth and disrupted antioxidant systems and soil microbial activities.
Single and combined effect of polyethylene microplastics (virgin and naturally aged) and cadmium on pakchoi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) under different growth stages
Researchers examined the single and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on pakchoi vegetables at different growth stages. The study found that naturally aged microplastics had different effects than virgin ones, and that the combination of microplastics and cadmium could worsen oxidative stress and nutrient disruption in plants, particularly during early growth.
Aged polylactic acid microplastics with ultraviolet irradiation stunted pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) germination and growth with cadmium in hydroponics
Researchers found that UV-aged biodegradable PLA microplastics were more harmful to plant growth than fresh ones, especially when combined with cadmium contamination. The aged microplastics increased oxidative damage and reduced nutrient uptake in pakchoi plants. This matters because biodegradable plastics are promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, but they may become more toxic as they break down in the environment.
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.
The toxicological effect on pak choi of co-exposure to degradable and non-degradable microplastics with oxytetracycline in the soil
This study tested how microplastics and the antibiotic oxytetracycline, both common contaminants in farmland soil, affect pak choi (a leafy vegetable). Both types of microplastics harmed root growth, photosynthesis, and plant metabolism, and surprisingly, biodegradable PLA microplastics caused more damage than conventional polyethylene ones. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could reduce crop quality and nutritional value, with so-called eco-friendly plastics potentially being worse for plants.
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.
Stress of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics on pakchoi（Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis） and soil bacteria: Biochar mitigation
Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on pakchoi (a leafy vegetable) and found that both types harmed plant growth and disrupted soil bacteria. Adding biochar to the soil helped reduce these negative effects, suggesting it could be a practical way to protect crops from microplastic contamination in agricultural settings.
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.
Interaction of Microplastics with Emerging Organic Pollutants: A Study on Atrazine Adsorption and Phytotoxicity
Researchers studied how aged and pristine polyethylene microplastics adsorb the herbicide atrazine and whether this combination affects plant seed germination. Aged microplastics absorbed significantly more atrazine than new ones due to surface changes from UV exposure, and the atrazine-loaded aged particles inhibited lettuce germination by up to 34%. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in agricultural environments may amplify the harmful effects of pesticide contamination.
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.
Aging microplastic aggravates the pollution of heavy metals in rhizosphere biofilms
Researchers found that aging microplastics aggravate heavy metal pollution in rhizosphere biofilms, with weathered MPs accumulating more metals and altering microbial community structure in the root zone, potentially increasing contaminant transfer to plants.
Photoaging Exacerbates Nanoplastic Phytotoxicity and Differentially Activates Defense Mechanisms in Wild versus Cultivated Maize
Researchers compared the phytotoxicity of pristine versus photoaged polystyrene nanoplastics in cultivated maize and its wild progenitor, finding that photoaging greatly amplified toxicity and that wild maize activated stronger defense responses than cultivated varieties.
Effects of photoaging on structure and characteristics of biofilms on microplastic in soil: Biomass and microbial community
Scientists studied how sunlight aging changes the way bacteria colonize microplastics in soil, finding that weathered plastics attracted different bacterial communities than fresh plastics. Aged microplastics initially supported less biofilm growth but developed bacteria with greater ability to break down carbon compounds. This research helps explain how microplastics behave differently in real-world soil conditions versus lab settings, which matters for understanding how plastics affect agricultural land and the food grown in it.
A new quantitative insight: Interaction of polyethylene microplastics with soil - microbiome - crop
Researchers developed a new method to track and measure how polyethylene microplastics move through soil and into crops, and for the first time demonstrated that micron-sized particles can accumulate in plant tissues, with the highest concentrations found in roots. Weathered microplastics significantly reduced soil nutrients and inhibited plant growth in maize, while fresh microplastics had different effects on soil chemistry. The findings suggest that aging microplastics in agricultural soil may pose a greater risk to crop productivity than previously understood.
Ageing affects microplastic toxicity over time: Effects of aged polycarbonate on germination, growth, and oxidative stress of Lepidium sativum
Researchers compared the toxic effects of new versus aged polycarbonate microplastics on garden cress plants and found that newer plastic was significantly more harmful, inhibiting germination, reducing growth, and causing oxidative stress. As the plastic aged over time, its toxicity decreased, likely because harmful chemical additives like bisphenol-A leached out during the aging process. The study suggests that freshly produced microplastic pollution may pose greater immediate risks to plants than older, weathered particles.
Aging reduces the negative effect of low-density polyethylene microplastics on soil-plant-microbial systems
This study compared the effects of original and UV-aged low-density polyethylene microplastics at two particle sizes on soil properties, plant performance, and microbial communities. Aging reduced the negative impacts of LDPE microplastics, suggesting that environmental weathering partially mitigates the harm these particles cause to soil-plant-microbe systems.
Toxicity of photoaged polyvinyl chloride microplastics to wheat seedling roots
Sunlight-aged PVC microplastics were found to be more toxic to wheat seedling roots than fresh PVC particles, with the aged particles stunting root growth by up to 7.5%. The toxicity came from both physical damage caused by smaller broken-down particles and chemical harm from additives that leached out of the aging plastic. This research matters because PVC is one of the most common microplastics in farm soil, and its increasing toxicity with age could affect crop health and food production.
Investigation of the sorption behavior of atrazine in new and aged microplastic and evaluation of its phytotoxic potential
Researchers studied the sorption of atrazine onto new and aged polyethylene microplastics in distilled and nutrient-enriched (eutrophic) water, then assessed the phytotoxic effects on Lactuca sativa germination. Aged MPs adsorbed more atrazine than new MPs, and the combination increased phytotoxicity over atrazine alone, showing that weathered microplastics amplify herbicide risks in aquatic environments.
The response of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa L.) to the co-contamination of nanoplastics with different polarity and Ketoprofen
Researchers grew Chinese cabbage in soil contaminated with polyethylene and polypropylene nanoparticles alone and in combination with the pharmaceutical ketoprofen. Both nanoparticle types reduced plant biomass and caused oxidative stress, with polypropylene being more toxic because it translocated from roots to aerial parts, and the combination with ketoprofen intensified all harmful effects.
Transport Dynamics and Physiological Responses of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Pakchoi: Implications for Food Safety and Environmental Health
Researchers tracked fluorescently labeled nanoplastics as they traveled through pakchoi (a leafy green vegetable), entering through the roots, moving up through the plant's water-transport system, and accumulating in the leaves. The nanoplastics caused oxidative damage and disrupted plant hormones, demonstrating a clear pathway by which plastic pollution in soil could enter the human food supply through everyday vegetables.
Impact of Degradation of Polyethylene Particles on Their Cytotoxicity
Researchers found that degradation of polyethylene particles altered their cytotoxicity, with weathered and fragmented PE showing different toxic effects on cells compared to pristine particles, suggesting environmental aging changes microplastic health risks.
Aged polyethylene microplastics modulate herbicide and antibiotic bioavailability and plant responses: a case study with glyphosate and tetracycline
Researchers generated experimental data on how aged polyethylene microplastics affect the behavior of the herbicide glyphosate and the antibiotic tetracycline in hydroponic plant growth systems. The dataset includes measurements of pollutant sorption, plant photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant enzyme activity in rapeseed plants exposed to various combinations of microplastics and chemicals. The study suggests that microplastics can modulate how other environmental contaminants interact with plants.