Interplay of plastic pollution with algae and plants: hidden danger or a blessing?

Abstract

In the era of plastic pollution, plants have been discarded as a system that is not affected by micro and nanoplastics, but contrary to beliefs that plants cannot absorb plastic particles, recent research proved otherwise. The presented review gives insight into known aspects of plants' interplay with plastics and how plants' ability to absorb plastic particles can be utilized to remove plastics from water and soil systems. Microplastics usually cannot be absorbed by plant root systems due to their size, but some reports indicate they might enter plant tissues through stomata. On the other hand, nanoparticles can enter plant root systems, and reports of their transport via xylem to upper plant parts have been recorded. Bioaccumulation of nanoplastics in upper plant parts is still not confirmed. The prospects of using biosystems for the remediation of soils contaminated with plastics are still unknown. However, algae could be used to degrade plastic particles in water systems through enzyme facilitated degradation processes. Considering the amount of plastic pollution, especially in the oceans, further research is necessary on the utilization of algae in plastic degradation. Special attention should be given to the research concerning utilization of algae with restricted algal growth, ensuring that a different problem is not induced, "sea blooming", during the degradation of plastics.

Keywords: Microplastics; Nanoplastics; Plants; Remediation.