Nanomaterials modify the growth of crops and some characteristics of organisms from agricultural or forest soils: An experimental study at laboratory, greenhouse and land level

Currently, some concerns regarding the potential toxicity of nanoparticles (NP) on the environment have emerged. The effect of ZnO, TiO2, and Fe2O3 NP on corn (Zea mays L.), common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), nanobioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and soil organisms from agricultural or forest soils was studied at laboratory, greenhouse, and land level. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy dispersion spectrometry (FESEM-EDS), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) gas chromatography (GC), ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR). ZnO-NP did not harm the mycorrhizal root colonization but, the presence of ZnO-NP decreased the degradation of PAH. The synthesis of metabolites from corn was more affected by the PAH than by ZnONP. FTIR spectra showed that NP affected the synthesis of compounds from specific functional groups in common bean plants. Fe2O3-NP were attached to the body of forestsoil organisms and significantly increased the concentration of Fe in their body, while TiO2-NP changed the morphological tissue of roots and stems of common bean as witnessed by micrographs of longitudinal and cross-sections. The NP used in this research significantly changed some response variables on the experiments carried-out at laboratory, greenhouse, and land level.