Since the nature of pollutants is not mentioned in the question, several speculations can be made here.
It is important to consider that some pollutants are taken up easily by plants whereas other pollutants are difficult. This is because of their water solubility criteria. If a pollutant can be taken up by plant directly, it can cause more damages to the plant as compared to the pollutant which interacts from outside.
<h3>What is Pollutants?</h3>
Pollutants can affect the photosynthesis: Some pollutants are toxic to plant metabolic reactions such as photosynthesis. This is because of their oxidative nature that can damage the photosystems. This ultimately impairs the plant functioning, e.g. ozone in the air.
Pollutants can affect the plant-associated microbial communities: Some pollutants such as antibiotics can target plant-associated bacterial communities that are required for plant health. Just like the human gut, plants also have beneficial bacteria that live inside the plant tissues. These bacteria are called endophytes. The harmful nature of the compounds can affect those bacteria which decreases plant fitness.
Pollutants can compete with nutrients that act as limiting factors: Some pollutants are hydrophobic in nature and make the beneficial nutrients less available to the plants. Likewise, some pollutants reduce the bioavailability of plant necessary nutrients directly. This results in reduced growth and development in plants.
