Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021
Do Microplastics Enter Our Food Chain Via Root Vegetables? A Raman Based Spectroscopic Study on Raphanus sativus
Tympa, Leda-Eleni; Katsara, Klytaimnistra; Moschou, Panagiotis N.; Kenanakis, George; Papadakis, Vassilis M.Abstract
The outburst of plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems poses a potential threat to agriculture and food safety. Studies have already provided evidence for the uptake of plastic microparticles by several plant species, accompanied by numerous developmental effects, using fluorescence labelling techniques. Here, we introduce the implementation of confocal Raman spectroscopy, a label-free method, for the effective detection of microplastics (MPs) accumulation in the roots of a common edible root vegetable plant, Raphanus sativus, after treatment with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) powder. We also demonstrate the concomitant occurrence of phenotypic defects in the polymer-treated plants. We anticipate that this work can provide new insights not only into the extent of the impact this widespread phenomenon has on crop plants but also on the methodological requirements to address it.Keywords
label-free; microscopy; detection; plastic; pollution; environment; edible; crop plants; ABSPublished in
Materials2021, volume: 14, number: 9, article number: 2329
Publisher: MDPI
Authors' information
Tympa, Leda-Eleni
University of Crete
Katsara, Klytaimnistra
Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH)
Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH)
University of Crete
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Biology
Kenanakis, George
Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH)
Papadakis, Vassilis M.
Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH)
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG3 Good health and wellbeing
SDG2 Zero hunger
UKÄ Subject classification
Environmental Sciences
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092329
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112032