20 Sep 2022 --- Researchers have found that sub-micron plastics (SMPs) are absorbed by plants, raising concern over the quantity of microplastics that are consumed through the food system. The study showed that the polymer type influences the biodistribution of the particles in lettuce (roots and leaves) and the number of particles transferred from the plants to insects feeding on the treated lettuce. The researchers concluded that plastic particles could potentially transfer from soil into food webs, and the chemical composition of plastics influences their biodistribution and trophic transfer in organisms. “Our finding suggests that different types of plastic SMPs have different fates and behavior in organisms and food webs. It is likely that other physicochemical properties of plasticparticles such as shape, size and density can influence the biological fate of these particles in food webs,” highlight the researchers.
