Airborne PET nanoplastics alter tobacco's chemical risk.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41410772.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2519054122 and PMC identifier 12745678.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Atmospheric micro(nano)plastics (MNPs), including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), enter plants via leaves, accumulating in tissues. Foliar PET nanoplastic exposure alters <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> nicotine biosynthesis, favoring the more potent (S)-isomer even without growth inhibition. This accumulation reveals a contamination pathway for combustible consumer products, demonstrating that MNPs-induced alteration of a plant's endogenous biochemistry represents a significant and previously uncharacterized risk to agricultural sustainability and human health.
Medical subject headings
- Nicotiana
- Polyethylene Terephthalates
- Microplastics
- Air Pollutants