Molecular mechanisms and physiological responses of rice leaves co-exposed to submicron-plastics and cadmium: Implication for food quality and security

The effects of co-exposure to aged submicron particles (aSMPs) and Cd as model contaminants on rice leaves via the foliar route were investigated. Thirty-day-old rice seedlings grown in soil were exposed to Cd (nitrate) through foliar spraying at concentrations of 1, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μM, with or without aSMP at a rate of 30 μg d−1. It was observed that Cd translocated from leaves to roots via stems even without co-exposure to SMP. Co-exposure can reduce cadmium levels in leaves. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis confirmed a significant reduction (29.3 − 77.9%) in Cadmium accumulation in the leaves of rice plants during co-exposure. Exposure to Cd resulted in physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic changes in rice leaves, disrupting 28 metabolism pathways, and impacting crop yield and quality. Exposure to both Cd and aSMPs can interfere with the Cd distribution in plants. Rice leaves exposed solely to Cd exhibit higher toxicity and Cd accumulation, compared to those co-exposed to Cd and aSMPs. The accumulation of Cd in plant leaves is enhanced with aSMPs, which may lead to more pronounced gene expression regulation and changes in metabolic pathways, compared to Cd exposure. Our study found that the independent Cd exposure group had higher Cd accumulation and toxicity in rice leaves compared to the combined exposure of Cd and aSMPs. We hypothesize that aged negatively charged SMPs can capture Cd and reduce its exposure in the free state while jointly inhibiting Cd-induced oxidative and chloroplast damage, thereby reducing the potential risk of Cd exposure in rice plants.