Polymer nanoparticles pass the plant interface

Sam J. Parkinson; Sireethorn Tungsirisurp; Chitra Joshi; Bethany L. Richmond; Miriam L. Gifford; Amrita Sikder; Iseult Lynch; Rachel K. O’Reilly; Richard M. Napier

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-35066-y

Polymer nanoparticles pass the plant interface

Sam J. Parkinson, Sireethorn Tungsirisurp, Chitra Joshi, Bethany L. Richmond, Miriam L. Gifford, Amrita Sikder, Iseult Lynch, Rachel K. O’Reilly^*, Richard M. Napier^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

As agriculture strives to feed an ever-increasing number of people, it must also adapt to increasing exposure to minute plastic particles. To learn about the accumulation of nanoplastics by plants, we prepared well-defined block copolymer nanoparticles by aqueous dispersion polymerisation. A fluorophore was incorporated via hydrazone formation and uptake into roots and protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana was investigated using confocal microscopy. Here we show that uptake is inversely proportional to nanoparticle size. Positively charged particles accumulate around root surfaces and are not taken up by roots or protoplasts, whereas negatively charged nanoparticles accumulate slowly and become prominent over time in the xylem of intact roots. Neutral nanoparticles penetrate rapidly into intact cells at the surfaces of plant roots and into protoplasts, but xylem loading is lower than for negative nanoparticles. These behaviours differ from those of animal cells and our results show that despite the protection of rigid cell walls, plants are accessible to nanoplastics in soil and water.

Original language	English
Article number	7385
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35066-y
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

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title = "Polymer nanoparticles pass the plant interface",

abstract = "As agriculture strives to feed an ever-increasing number of people, it must also adapt to increasing exposure to minute plastic particles. To learn about the accumulation of nanoplastics by plants, we prepared well-defined block copolymer nanoparticles by aqueous dispersion polymerisation. A fluorophore was incorporated via hydrazone formation and uptake into roots and protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana was investigated using confocal microscopy. Here we show that uptake is inversely proportional to nanoparticle size. Positively charged particles accumulate around root surfaces and are not taken up by roots or protoplasts, whereas negatively charged nanoparticles accumulate slowly and become prominent over time in the xylem of intact roots. Neutral nanoparticles penetrate rapidly into intact cells at the surfaces of plant roots and into protoplasts, but xylem loading is lower than for negative nanoparticles. These behaviours differ from those of animal cells and our results show that despite the protection of rigid cell walls, plants are accessible to nanoplastics in soil and water.",

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AU - Parkinson, Sam J.

AU - Tungsirisurp, Sireethorn

AU - Joshi, Chitra

AU - Richmond, Bethany L.

AU - Gifford, Miriam L.

AU - Sikder, Amrita

AU - Lynch, Iseult

AU - O’Reilly, Rachel K.

AU - Napier, Richard M.

PY - 2022/12

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N2 - As agriculture strives to feed an ever-increasing number of people, it must also adapt to increasing exposure to minute plastic particles. To learn about the accumulation of nanoplastics by plants, we prepared well-defined block copolymer nanoparticles by aqueous dispersion polymerisation. A fluorophore was incorporated via hydrazone formation and uptake into roots and protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana was investigated using confocal microscopy. Here we show that uptake is inversely proportional to nanoparticle size. Positively charged particles accumulate around root surfaces and are not taken up by roots or protoplasts, whereas negatively charged nanoparticles accumulate slowly and become prominent over time in the xylem of intact roots. Neutral nanoparticles penetrate rapidly into intact cells at the surfaces of plant roots and into protoplasts, but xylem loading is lower than for negative nanoparticles. These behaviours differ from those of animal cells and our results show that despite the protection of rigid cell walls, plants are accessible to nanoplastics in soil and water.

AB - As agriculture strives to feed an ever-increasing number of people, it must also adapt to increasing exposure to minute plastic particles. To learn about the accumulation of nanoplastics by plants, we prepared well-defined block copolymer nanoparticles by aqueous dispersion polymerisation. A fluorophore was incorporated via hydrazone formation and uptake into roots and protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana was investigated using confocal microscopy. Here we show that uptake is inversely proportional to nanoparticle size. Positively charged particles accumulate around root surfaces and are not taken up by roots or protoplasts, whereas negatively charged nanoparticles accumulate slowly and become prominent over time in the xylem of intact roots. Neutral nanoparticles penetrate rapidly into intact cells at the surfaces of plant roots and into protoplasts, but xylem loading is lower than for negative nanoparticles. These behaviours differ from those of animal cells and our results show that despite the protection of rigid cell walls, plants are accessible to nanoplastics in soil and water.

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Polymer nanoparticles pass the plant interface

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