Microplastic inclusion in birch tree roots

Austen, Kat; MacLean, Joana; Balanzategui, Daniel; Hölker, Franz

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152085

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Microplastic inclusion in birch tree roots

Authors

Austen, Kat
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MacLean, Joana
3.7 Geomicrobiology, 3.0 Geochemistry, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

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Balanzategui, Daniel
4.3 Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution, 4.0 Geosystems, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

Hölker, Franz
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Citation

Austen, K., MacLean, J., Balanzategui, D., Hölker, F. (2022): Microplastic inclusion in birch tree roots. - Science of the Total Environment, 808, 152085.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152085

Cite as: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5008955

Abstract

In this pilot study, microplastic beads (5–50 μm) were tagged with fluorescent dye and introduced to the soil of potted Betula pendula Roth. (silver birch) saplings during the growing season. After five months, root samples were examined using fluorescence- and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This paper presents the first documented indication of the incorporation of microplastic into root tissues of woody plants and discusses the phytoremediation potential of birch in soil with microplastic contamination.