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Research article2021Peer reviewedOpen access

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; ABS

Published in

Materials
2021, Volume: 14, number: 9, article number: 2329Publisher: MDPI

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG2 Zero hunger
    SDG3 Good health and well-being

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Environmental Sciences

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092329

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112032