Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can potentially be used in agricultural and food systems. Recent work has shown their application as a nano-fertilizer, moisture retainer, and nano-transporter of proteins. In addition to their applications, wastewater irrigation and bio-solid application can release CNTs to agricultural soils. If agricultural crops take up CNTs from contaminated soils, the consequent human dietary exposure to CNTs could be a threat to public health. To mitigate the harmful effects of CNTs and optimize their application and management, it is crucial to quantitatively understand the environmental fate of CNTs in soil-plant systems. In our studies, analytical methods have been developed and applied for determining the microbial degradation and plant uptake of CNTs. Results showed that agricultural plant (i.e., lettuce, <i>Lactuca. sativa</i>) can take up and translocate CNTs to different tissues, and soil bacteria can transform, degrade, and even mineralize CNTs. The methods we developed can also be potentially used for analyzing other carbonaceous nanomaterials in different environmental media and managing their applications.

Quantitative analysis for the environmental fate of carbon nanotubes in soil-plant systems for their environmental implication and application

2019 Fall National Meeting

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