Effective uptake of submicrometre plastics by crop plants via a crack-entry mode

Most microplastics are emitted, either directly or via the degradation of plastics, to the terrestrial environment and accumulate in large amounts in soils, representing a potential threat to terrestrial ecosystems. It is very important to evaluate the uptake of microplastics by crop plants because of the ubiquity of microplastics in wastewaters often used for agricultural irrigation worldwide. Here, we analyse the uptake of different microplastics by crop plants (wheat (Triticum aestivum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa)) from treated wastewater in hydroponic cultures and in sand matrices or a sandy soil. Our results provide evidence in support of submicrometre- and micrometre-sized polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate particles penetrating the stele of both species using the crack-entry mode at sites of lateral root emergence. This crack-entry pathway and features of the polymeric particles lead to the efficient uptake of submicrometre plastic. The plastic particles were subsequently transported from the roots to the shoots. Higher transpiration rates enhanced the uptake of plastic particles, showing that the transpirational pull was the main driving force of their movement. Our findings shed light on the modes of plastic particle interaction with plants and have implications for crops grown in fields contaminated with wastewater treatment discharges or sewage sludges.The presence of microplastics in wastewaters used for irrigation highlights the urgency of analysing the possible uptake of microplastics by crop plants. This study shows that submicrometre and micrometre plastic particles from treated wastewater enter the steles of crop plants via a crack entry at sites of lateral root emergence.Environmental Biolog

Linking NHS data for pediatric pharmacovigilance: Results of a Delphi survey

Background: Adverse drug events are a major cause of patient safety incidents. Current systems of pharmacovigilance under-report adverse drug reactions (ADRs), especially in children, leading to delays in their identification. This is of particular concern, as children especially have an increased vulnerability toADRs. Objectives: The objective was to seek consensus among healthcare professionals (HCPs) about barriers and facilitators to the linkage of routinely collected health data for pediatric pharmacovigilance in Scotland. Methods: A Delphi survey was conducted with a random sample of HCPs including nurses, pharmacists and doctors, working in primary or secondary care, in Scotland. Participants were identified from sampling frames of the target professionals such as an NHS workforce list for general practitioners and recruited by postal invitation. A total of 819 HCPs were invited to take part. Those agreeing to participate were given the option of completing the questionnaires online or as hard copy. Reminders were sent twice at a fortnightly interval. Questions content included description of professional role as well as testing for the willingness to support the proposed project and was informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework of Behavior Change (TDF) and earlier qualitative work. Three Delphi rounds were administered, including a first round for item generation. Results: 121 of those invited agreed to take part (15%). The first round of the Delphi study included 21 open questions and generated over a 1000 individual statements from 61 participants that returned the questionnaires (50.4%). These were rationalized to 149 items for the second round in which participants rated their views on the importance (or not) of each item on a 9-point Likert scale (strongly disagree - strongly agree). After the third round, there was consensus on items that focused on professional standards, and practical requirements, overall there was support for data linkage and a multi-professional approach. Conclusions: It would be acceptable to stakeholders to introduce a data linkage system for pharmacovigilance as long as identified concerns are addressed. Concerns included adherence to current professional, legal and ethical standards, as well resolving practical issues