How Microplastics Can End up in Tomato Crops—Researcher Gives ‘Best’ Solution

New research from Griffith University in Australia suggests organic fertiliser may not be as environmentally friendly as previously thought.

Tomatoes that ripen on the vine taste better than tomatoes picked too early. Ton Photographer 4289/Shutterstock

Every time we wash our clothes, thousands of tiny plastic fibres are shed down the drain. But where do they go? New research from Griffith University suggests some of these fibres can end up in the crops we eat.

The study, published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, found that micro and nanoplastics in soil can be absorbed by wheat and tomato crops, where they can accumulate in the roots and further travel into the stem and leaves.