Anwar A. Aly, Junjie Tang, Mahmoud Y. El Zanaty, C. Y. Liu, Arjun S. Kulathuvayal, Yanqing Su, Yanqing Su, Ibukunoluwa Salako, Jennifer Weidhaas, Zeyu Cai, Chuanxin Ma, Joan E. McLean, Arturo A. Keller, Baoshan Xing, Y. T. Su, Y. T. Su
The accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) in croplands threatens food quality and human health. This study investigates the effectiveness of pristine biochar (BC) and iron-doped biochar (Fe-BC), produced from pine sawdust via one-step pyrolysis, in reducing NPs uptake by lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L. var. adela ). Fe-BC exhibited greater porosity, higher surface area, and a slightly positive surface charge compared to BC. Using Pd-doped NPs, we confirmed that NPs can penetrate roots and translocate to leaves, accumulating more in older tissues. Soil application of 3 wt % BC or Fe-BC significantly lowered leaf NPs concentrations, with Fe-BC showing a greater reduction, by approximately 60% (from 0.90 to 0.36 mg/kg). While both BC and Fe-BC demonstrated a capacity for alleviating NPs-induced metabolic disturbances and partially restoring soil enzyme activities, Fe-BC presents a more promising amendment for mitigating NPs contamination and protecting crop quality.