Are nanoplastics potentially toxic for plants and rhizobiota? Current knowledge and recommendations

• Published in: NanoImpact 2023-07, Vol.31, p.100473-100473, Article 100473
• Main Authors: Masson, Delphine, Pédrot, Mathieu, Davranche, Mélanie, Cabello-Hurtado, Francisco, Ryzhenko, Nataliia, El Amrani, Abdelhak, Wahl, Aurélie, Gigault, Julien
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Ecotoxicity; Environmental Sciences; Geochemistry; Nanoplastic; Physico-chemical conditions; Plants; Rhizomicrobiota; Sciences of the Universe; Soils
• ISSN: 2452-0748; 2452-0748
• DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2023.100473

Soil is now becoming a reservoir of plastics in response to global production, use/disposal patterns and low recovery rates. Their degradation is caused by numerous processes, and this degradation leads to the formation and release of plastic nanoparticles, i.e., nanoplastics. The occurrence of nanoplastics in the soil is expected to both directly and indirectly impact its properties and functioning. Nanoplastics may directly impact the physiology and development of living organisms, especially plants, e.g., by modifying their production yield. Nanoplastics can also indirectly modify the physicochemical properties of the soil and, as a result, favour the release of related contaminants (organic or inorganic) and have an impact on soil biota, and therefore have a negative effect on the functioning of rhizospheres. However all these results have to be taken carefully since performed with polymer nano-bead not representative of the nanoplastics observed in the environment. This review highlight thus the current knowledge on the interactions between plants, rhizosphere and nanoplastics, their consequences on plant physiology and development in order to identify gaps and propose scientific recommendations. Expected plastic cycle in the soil system. [Display omitted] •No information on the impact of nanoplastics produced under environmental conditions.•Extrapolation from model polymer nanobeads allow expecting direct metabolic and indirect impacts on plants•The inexistence of quantitative methods limits toxicodynamic and toxicokinetics identifications.•Main future challenges lie in using relevant nanoplastics models•Plant exposure pathways have to be assessed under environmentally relevant exposure conditions