Ecotoxicity of Plastic Leachates on Aquatic Plants: Multi-Factor Multi-Effect Meta-Analysis

Despite heightened awareness of plastic contamination, a comprehensive understanding of the ecotoxicity of plastic leachates remains challenging due to discrepancies in previous findings and complexities in the effects of myriad factors. Herein, we proposed a multi-factor multi-effect plastic-leachate ecotoxicology meta-analysis approach (PLEM) to elucidate the ecotoxicity of plastic leachates on aquatic plants. To distinguish the leachate toxicity from the general effects of leachates and plastic particles, the previous studies on the effects of leachate stricto sensu (i.e., without particles) were exclusively encompassed. A total of 890 data points explored in 18 previous articles were systematically analyzed. Our findings revealed that plastic leachates negatively affected aquatic plants' growth (31 %) and photosynthesis (13 %). These toxic effects were influenced by multifaced factors including plastic characteristics, leaching conditions, and plant species. Polyvinyl chloride leachates exhibited the highest toxicity among different polymers. Marine species showed greater susceptibility than freshwater species. Surprisingly, leachates from centimeter-sized plastics exhibit higher toxicity than those from nanometer, micrometer, and millimeter-sized plastics. These findings underscore the toxicity of plastic leachates on aquatic plants should be more systematically assessed using standardized laboratory methods and considering multi-factors. This study offers a valuable insight into the toxic mechanism of plastic leachates and plastic contamination.