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Microplastic Transport in Buckwheat Root-Inspired Microfluidic Structures: Microfluidic and Numerical Analysis
Skaistė Dreskinienė1, Monika Vilkienė1, Gintarė Šidlauskaitė1
1Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Instituto al.1, LT-58344 Akademija, Lithuania.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 4, 2026
Summary
Microplastics from laundry contaminate soil and plants. Plant roots can partially filter larger microplastics, but smaller ones may still enter plant tissues.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Plant Biology
Background:
- Synthetic textiles are a major source of microplastic pollution.
- Microplastics entering soil-plant systems pose environmental and potential health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- Quantify microfibre release from polyester textiles during domestic washing.
- Investigate microplastic migration within plant root structures.
Main Methods:
- Gravimetric analysis (ISO 4484-1:2023) for microfibre release.
- Raman spectroscopy and DSC for particle identification.
- Scanning electron microscopy and microfluidic experiments for migration studies.
Main Results:
- Average release of 0.6 ± 0.5 g microfibres/kg polyester textile per wash.
- Released particles confirmed as polyethylene terephthalate.
- Root epidermis acts as a partial filter, impeding larger microplastics but allowing smaller ones to pass.
Conclusions:
- Domestic laundry is a significant source of microplastic fibres.
- Plant root epidermis can partially mitigate microplastic uptake.
- Further research needed on microplastic transport dynamics in soil-plant systems.
