The toxicological effect on pak choi of co-exposure to degradable and non-degradable microplastics with oxytetracycline in the soil

Enhanced photodegradation of oxytetracycline antibiotic in wastewater by implementing ZnO-loaded carbon fiber

The antibiotic oxytetracycline (OCA) exhibits high insolubility in the natural environment, posing a significant challenge for its removal. This study synthesized a porous structure and a high-surface-area carbon fiber, incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO/CFB) for the effective removal of OCA in wastewater. The material characterization revealed exceptional optical and photochemical properties of ZnO/CFB, featuring a reduced band gap energy of 2.7 eV. ZnO/CFB exhibited robust performance in the photodegradation of OCA in wastewater, achieving an impressive removal efficiency of 86.7%. Remarkably, the reduction of total organic carbon (TOC) reached an outstanding 97.5%. LC-MS analysis confirmed the complete oxidation of OCA and its intermediates, transforming them into inorganic substances within 60 min. This study introduces an efficient strategy for eliminating antibiotic pollutants from wastewater, highlighting the potential of ZnO/CFB as an effective and stable photocatalyst for environmental remediation.

Micro/nanoplastics: Critical review of their impacts on plants, interactions with other contaminants (antibiotics, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and management strategies

Microplastic/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) contamination is not only emerging threat to the agricultural system but also constitute global hazard to the environment worldwide. Recent review articles have addressed the environmental distribution of MPs/NPs and their single-exposure phytotoxicity in various plant species. However, the mechanisms of MPs/NPs-induced phytotoxicity in conjunction with that of other contaminants remain unknown, and there is a need for strategies to ameliorate such phytotoxicity. To address this, we comprehensively review the sources of MPs/NPs, their uptake by and effects on various plant species, and their phytotoxicity in conjunction with antibiotics, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other toxicants. We examine mechanisms to ameliorate MP/NP-induced phytotoxicity, including the use of phytohormones, biochar, and other plant-growth regulators. We discuss the effects of MPs/NPs -induced phytotoxicity in terms of its ability to inhibit plant growth and photosynthesis, disrupt nutrient metabolism, inhibit seed germination, promote oxidative stress, alter the antioxidant defense system, and induce genotoxicity. This review summarizes the novel strategies for mitigating MPs/NPs phytotoxicity, presents recent advances, and highlights research gaps, providing a foundation for future studies aimed at overcoming the emerging problem of MPs/NPs phytotoxicity in edible crops.

Microplastic contamination in the agricultural soil-mitigation strategies, heavy metals contamination, and impact on human health: a review

Microplastic pollution has emerged as a critical global environmental issue due to its widespread distribution, persistence, and potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Although research on microplastic pollution in aquatic environments has gained significant attention. However, a limited literature has summarized the impacts of microplastic pollution the agricultural land and human health. Therefore, In the current review, we have discussed how microplastic(s) affect the microorganisms by ingesting the microplastic present in the soil, alternatively affecting the belowground biotic and abiotic components, which further elucidates the negative effects on the above-ground properties of the crops. In addition, the consumption of these crops in the food chain revealed a potential risk to human health throughout the food chain. Moreover, microplastic pollution has the potential to induce a negative impact on agricultural production and food security by altering the physiochemical properties of the soil, microbial population, nutrient cycling, and plant growth and development. Therefore, we discussed in detail the potential hazards caused by microplastic contamination in the soil and through the consumption of food and water by humans in daily intake. Furthermore, further study is urgently required to comprehend how microplastic pollution negatively affects terrestrial ecosystems, particularly agroecosystems which drastically reduces the productivity of the crops. Our review highlights the urgent need for greater awareness, policy interventions, and technological solutions to address the emerging threat of microplastic pollution in soil and plant systems and mitigation strategies to overcome its potential impacts on human health. Based on existing studies, we have pointed out the research gaps and proposed different directions for future research.

Biochar relieves the toxic effects of microplastics on the root-rhizosphere soil system by altering root expression profiles and microbial diversity and functions

The accumulation of microplastics in agricultural soil brings unexpected adverse effects on crop growth and soil quality, which is threatening the sustainability of agriculture. Biochar is an emerging soil amendment material of interest as it can remediate soil pollutants. However, the mechanisms underlying biochar alleviated the toxic effects of microplastics in crops and soil were largely unknown. Using a common economic crop, peanut as targeted species, the present study evaluated the plant physiologica and molecular response and rhizosphere microbiome when facing microplastic contamination and biochar amendment. Transcriptome and microbiome analyses were conducted on peanut root and rhizosphere soil treated with CK (no microplastic and no biochar addition), MP (1.5% polystyrene microplastic addition) and MB (1.5% polystyrene microplastic+2% peanut shell biochar addition). The results indicated that microplastics had inhibitory effects on plant root development and rhizosphere bacterial diversity and function. However, biochar application could significantly promote the expressions of key genes associated with antioxidant activities, lignin synthesis, nitrogen transport and energy metabolism to alleviate the reactive oxygen species stress, root structure damage, nutrient transport limitation, and energy metabolism inhibition induced by microplastic contamination on the root. In addition, the peanut rhizosphere microbiome results showed that biochar application could restore the diversity and richness of microbial communities inhibited by microplastic contamination and promote nutrient availability of rhizosphere soil by regulating the abundance of nitrogen cycling-related and organic matter decomposition-related microbial communities. Consequently, the application of biochar could enhance root development by promoting oxidative stress resistance, nitrogen transport and energy metabolism and benefit the rhizosphere microecological environment for root development, thereby improved the plant-soil system health of microplastic-contaminated agroecosystem.