Effects of Microplastics on the Mineral Elements Absorption and Accumulation in Hydroponic Rice Seedlings (Oryza sativa L.)

Environmental pollution caused by microplastics (MPs) have become a non-negligible environmental problem and come into our notice recently. Herein, the nutrient elemental signature (ionome) of rice seedlings exposed to four levels of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs), and was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) or mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) to determine the relationship between ionome and MPs. After 21 days of laboratory exposure, no shoots growth difference has shown among any doses of PE-MPs treatments, however, the roots growth was significantly inhibited after the medium and high doses of PE-MPs treatments. Further analysis showed that PE-MPs treatments could decrease the accumulation of one essential mineral element Mn and some non-essential mineral elements accumulation including As and Cd, while increase the accumulation of one essential mineral elements including Na in rice seedlings. This study is the first to document the variation of the rice seedlings ionome after exposing microplastics.