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Published on: August 25, 2018
Airborne PET nanoplastics alter tobacco's chemical risk
Miao-Miao Tan1, Xiao-Dong Sun1, Yue Wang1
1Shandong Key Laboratory of Synergistic Control of Complex Multi-Media Pollution, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Atmospheric micro(nano)plastics (MNPs), including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), enter plants via leaves, accumulating in tissues. Foliar PET nanoplastic exposure alters Nicotiana benthamiana nicotine biosynthesis, favoring the more potent (S)-isomer even without growth inhibition. This accumulation reveals a contamination pathway for combustible consumer products, demonstrating that MNPs-induced alteration of a plant's endogenous biochemistry represents a significant and previously uncharacterized risk to agricultural sustainability and human health.

