Nanoplastics Induce Transgenerational Impacts on Tomato Growth, Oxidative Stress, and Nutritional Quality

The presence of nanoplastics in agricultural soils raises concerns about their potential for uptake, accumulation, and toxicity on crops. Here, we investigated the transgenerational effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on tomatoes, focusing on the growth, oxidative stress responses, and fruit nutritional quality across parental (F0) and offspring (F1) generations. Exposure to PS-NPs inhibited plant growth and fruit ripening and reduced fruit yield and quality in a dose-dependent manner. Notably, these adverse effects were partially mitigated in the F1 generation, indicating a transgenerational attenuation of the nanoplastic toxicity. Oxidative state analysis revealed elevated levels of H2O2, malondialdehyde, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Overall, these findings demonstrate that PS-NPs exert phytotoxic and transgenerational effects on tomatoes, affecting growth, oxidative balance, and nutritional quality, with transgenerational effects partially mitigated in progeny. The study highlights the importance of considering the long-term and generational impacts of nanoplastic pollution in agroecosystems.