Micro and Nanoplastics Interactions with Plant Species: Trends, Meta-Analysis, and Perspectives

Abstract

The ubiquitous presence of nano plastics (NPx) and micro plastics (MPx) in the environment has been demonstrated, and as such, the exposure scenarios, mechanisms of plant response, and ultimate risk must be determined. However, the current literature reports ambiguous outcomes and provides limited mechanistic insight into critical governing processes. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of the most recent literature investigating the effect of MPx/NPx on plant species under laboratory and field conditions so as to evaluate the current state of knowledge. Toxic effects of MPx/NPx exposure in plants varies as a function of plant species and interestingly, generally non-significant responses are reported in staple crops. NPx (<100 nm) more negatively affected plant development parameters (n=341) (n is total number of observations), photosynthetic pigments (n=80), and biochemical indicators (n=91) than did MPx (>100 nm). Surprisingly, NPx exposure yielded negligible effects on germination rate (n=17), although root morphology (n=45) was negatively affected. Alternatively, MPx negatively affected on germination (n= 27) and generally non-significant affect with regard to root morphology (n=64). The effect of MPx/NPx on plant health decreases with increasing exposure time. No specific trends were evident for the production of biochemical enzymes as related to MPx/NPx concentration or size. Future work should include crop full life cycle studies to highlight the accumulation of MPx/NPx in edible tissues and also to investigate potential trophic transfer of MPx/NPx. Furthermore, we provide a framework for additional investigative work to address these and other knowledge gaps and to enable accurate assessment of the fate and risk of these materials to environmental and human health.

Emerging Contaminants in Agriculture and Ways to Reduce them Emerging Contaminants in Agriculture

“…Relating to biochemical enzymes, MPx/NPx induces an increase of Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). Several plant physiological parameters are also affected negatively, like shoot biomass, root length, germination, root biomass, and plant height (Azeem et al, 2022).…”

Microplastic stress in plants: effects on plant growth and their remediations

“…MPs persist in the environment and can remain there for hundreds of years (Duan et al 2021). MPs have been found in various shapes, sizes, polymers, and concentrations in agroecosystems, in terrestrial and aquatic settings (Azeem et al, 2022;Pan et al, 2021;Mao et al, 2022). Moreover, MPs have been observed in different food items that are widely consumed by humans, such as table salt, seafood, vegetables, and grains (Campanale et al, 2022;Kibria et al, 2022;Pan et al, 2022;Udovicki et al, 2022;Makhdoumi et al, 2023).…”

Editorial: Interaction of nano and microplastic with different plant species: concerns and opportunities

“…Plastic materials from various sources have been identified in agricultural soil, necessitating comprehensive investigations into the risks posed by NMPs and their consequences on agricultural plants (Azeem et al, 2021). Despite significant knowledge gaps in understanding the interactions between the natural environment and NMPs, mounting evidence suggests their detrimental effects on a diverse range of taxa (Azeem et al, 2022). It is imperative to explore the emerging hazards of NMPs in the soil-plant system and their potential effects on the food chain.…”