Microplastics & Nanoplastics

Microplastics & Nanoplastics: As per the recent study, microplastics and nanoplastics are absorbed by plant leaves, entering the food chain through herbivores and crops consumed by humans.

• About: Microplastics are plastic particles up to 5 millimetres in diameter and nanoplastics are smaller than 1,000 nanometres.
• Microplastics enter plant leaves via stomata (small pores) and cuticle (wax membrane). Stomata are pores that allow gases to enter the plant. Cuticle is a protective wax membrane that promotes particle absorption.
• Microplastics move through spaces between plant cells and accumulate in trichomes (hair-like structures on leaves).