Airborne PET nanoplastics alter tobacco's chemical risk.

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.

SUBMITTER: Tan MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12745678 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature