Accompanied with the rapid advancement of nanotechnology is the inevitable release and buildup of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment. As a result, the impact of ENPs on agricultural crops and their uptake and accumulation have received considerable attention. In addition to their own accumulation in plant tissues, however, ENPs may significantly alter the plant uptake and accumulation of co-existing environmental pollutants such as cadmium, which could drastically affect the human exposure to these toxic metals through food consumption. Current understanding on the modifications of plant uptake of co-present heavy metals by ENPs is very limited. The objective of this study was to ascertain the physiological and root anatomical adjustments in Glycine max L. (soybean) under synergistic cadmium stress and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) effect. The combinations of three cadmium levels: 0 (control) and 0.25 and 1 mg/kg dry soil, and two CeO2NPs concentrations: 0 (control) and 500 mg/kg dry soil were investigated. Measurements of the growth rate and plant biomass and other physiological parameters indicate physiological and anatomical adjustments in treated plants. The implications of plant physiological and root anatomical adjustments for the uptake and accumulation of CeO2NPs and cadmium will be discussed. In addition, the possible formation of ENPs-heavy metal complex in the environment and the facilitated uptake of heavy metals through this mechanism will also be presented.

Impact of cerium oxide nanoparticles on the uptake and accumulation of cadmium in soybean (Glycine max L.)

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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