Effective uptake of submicrometre plastics by crop plants via a crack-entry mode

Lianzhen Li, Yongming Luo (), Ruijie Li, Qian Zhou, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg, Na Yin, Jie Yang, Chen Tu and Yunchao Zhang
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Lianzhen Li: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yongming Luo: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ruijie Li: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qian Zhou: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg: National Institute of Public Health and the Environment
Na Yin: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jie Yang: Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chen Tu: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yunchao Zhang: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Sustainability, 2020, vol. 3, issue 11, 929-937

Abstract: Abstract Most microplastics are emitted, either directly or via the degradation of plastics, to the terrestrial environment and accumulate in large amounts in soils, representing a potential threat to terrestrial ecosystems. It is very important to evaluate the uptake of microplastics by crop plants because of the ubiquity of microplastics in wastewaters often used for agricultural irrigation worldwide. Here, we analyse the uptake of different microplastics by crop plants (wheat (Triticum aestivum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa)) from treated wastewater in hydroponic cultures and in sand matrices or a sandy soil. Our results provide evidence in support of submicrometre- and micrometre-sized polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate particles penetrating the stele of both species using the crack-entry mode at sites of lateral root emergence. This crack-entry pathway and features of the polymeric particles lead to the efficient uptake of submicrometre plastic. The plastic particles were subsequently transported from the roots to the shoots. Higher transpiration rates enhanced the uptake of plastic particles, showing that the transpirational pull was the main driving force of their movement. Our findings shed light on the modes of plastic particle interaction with plants and have implications for crops grown in fields contaminated with wastewater treatment discharges or sewage sludges.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-0567-9

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