Microplastics absorbed by plants from soil can be transferred to their fruits and subsequently to the next generation of plants. (Image courtesy of the National Research Foundation of Korea)
DAEJEON, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – A groundbreaking study conducted by a research team led by professor An Youn-joo of Konkuk University has confirmed that microplastics absorbed by plants from soil can be transferred to their fruits and subsequently to the next generation of plants.
The study, funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, highlights a significant environmental concern, as it suggests the potential for microplastics to enter the food chain.
In their previous research, the team elucidated the mechanism through which plants absorb microplastics from their soil environment. They demonstrated that these plastics could reach the upper parts of the plant, including stems and leaves.
For this study, the researchers exposed the common garden pea (Pisum sativum), a standard species used in toxicity studies, to soil contaminated with fluorescent polystyrene microplastics of a size around 200nm. After about 60 days, the harvested peas were examined using a confocal laser scanning microscope. The findings revealed the presence of microplastics in the embryos and cotyledons of the peas.
Furthermore, when these harvested peas were replanted in uncontaminated soil and observed for 14 days, microplastics were detected not only on the surface but also within the intercellular and intracellular spaces of the plants.
This indicates that the plastics were not externally introduced but had moved from the embryos and cotyledons throughout the plant’s cells.
An expressed concern over the findings, stating, “This suggests that subsequent generations of plants, not directly exposed to microplastics, can still be affected through their parent plants. The transfer of these plastics to the fruits that humans and animals consume could potentially have adverse effects.”
The results of the study were published online on December 14 in the ‘Journal of Hazardous Materials,’ a prestigious international journal in the field of environmental science.
This study sheds light on the pervasive nature of microplastic pollution and its potential to impact plant life and food safety, emphasizing the need for further research and mitigation efforts.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
