Dipti Agarwal, Upma Bhatt, Vineet Soni
Personal care products (PCPs) are a rapidly expanding class of contaminants of emerging concern owing to their ubiquitous use and frequent detection in aquatic and terrestrial environments at trace levels. These chemically diverse formulations, including ultraviolet filters, preservatives, antimicrobials, surfactants, and functional additives, are primarily applied externally and enter wastewater largely in their parent form. Incomplete removal during conventional wastewater treatment leads to their continuous release via treated effluents and biosolids, conferring pseudo-persistent behavior. The increasing reuse of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and the land application of sewage sludge have intensified the transfer of PCPs residues into agricultural soils and crop systems. Plants occupy a central position in this contamination pathway, functioning as both sensitive indicators of environmental exposure and key gateways for trophic transfer. The uptake, translocation, and accumulation of PCPs in plants are governed by compound physicochemical properties, soil-rhizosphere interactions, and plant physiological traits. Once internalized, PCPs disrupt photosynthesis, redox balance, membrane stability, and growth, leading to phytotoxic effects and residue accumulation in edible tissues. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the environmental behavior, plant uptake, bioaccumulation, and phytotoxic effects, and remediation strategies of PCPs, while highlighting critical knowledge gaps and future research priorities for improving plant-based ecological risk assessment and sustainable management of these emerging contaminants.