Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on physiology, nutrient uptake, and root system architecture of aeroponically grown citrus plants

Abstract

The widespread presence of plastic pollution has become a challenge for both aquatic and terrestrial plants. Notably, nanoplastics (NPs) have been found to enter the root tissues and translocate to different organs of plants; however, most previous studies were performed using crop or vegetable seedlings, and the extent NPs accumulation in fruit tree plants, particularly citrus, and their impacts remains unclear. This study was designed to fill this gap by determining the uptake and accumulation of green, fluorescent polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) of two different sizes (20 nm and 50 nm in diameter) in citrus rootstock (‘US-942’) in an aeroponic system and their impact on plant growth and physiological functions, nutrient uptake, and root system architectural and anatomical traits. The 20 nm PS-NPs negatively impacted the root system architecture (total root length, root surface area, number of root forks) and nutrient contents (N, P, K, Mg, S, B, Fe, Cu, Mn) at both 15 and 30 days after treatment; however, no significant differences were recorded for growth and physiological parameters. Microscopic analysis of roots revealed that under both the PS-NPs treatments, root apoplastic barriers were fully developed near the root tips. Furthermore, PS-NPs are predominantly adhered to the root surface, and no signs of uptake and translocation were recorded in root sections. However, alterations to the external root cell layers were observed. This research sheds light on the impact of PS-NPs on plant roots and their physiology and contributes to a better understanding of these emerging pollutants on tree crop horticulture.