Exposure studies of core-shell Fe/Fe(3)O(4) and Cu/CuO NPs to lettuce (Lactuca sativa) plants: Are they a potential physiological and nutritional hazard?
Iron and copper nanomaterials are widely used in environmental remediation and agriculture. However, their effects on physiological parameters and nutritional quality of terrestrial plants such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa) are still unknown. In this research, 18-day-old hydroponically grown lettuce seedlings were treated for 15 days with core-shell nanoscale materials (Fe/Fe(3)O(4), Cu/CuO) at 10 and 20mg/L, and FeSO(4)·7H(2)O and CuSO(4)·5H(2)O at 10mg/L. At harvest, Fe, Cu, micro and macronutrients were determined by ICP-OES. Also, we evaluated chlorophyll content, plant growth, and catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities. Our results showed that iron ions/NPs did not affect the physiological parameters with respect to water control. Conversely, Cu ions/NPs reduced water content, root length, and dry biomass of the lettuce plants. ICP-OES results showed that nano-Cu/CuO treatments produced significant accumulation of Cu in roots compared to the CuSO(4)·5H(2)O treatment. In roots, all Cu treatments increased CAT activity but decreased APX activity. In addition, relative to the control, nano-Cu/CuO altered the nutritional quality of lettuce, since the treated plants had significantly more Cu, Al and S but less Mn, P, Ca, and Mg.
Chemistry Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
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Trujillo-Reyes
Chemistry Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
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Majumdar
Physics Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
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Botez
Chemistry Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Environmental Science and Engineering PhD Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
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Peralta-Videa
Chemistry Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Environmental Science and Engineering PhD Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. Electronic address: jgardea@utep.edu.
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Gardea-Torresdey
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D060387:Ascorbate Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D018527:Hydroponics; D018545:Lactuca / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D009753:Nutritive Value / Q000187:drug effects*; D010316:Particle Size; D013535:Suspensions; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D000975:Antioxidants; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D013535:Suspensions; D003300:Copper; D060387:Ascorbate Peroxidases; D002374:Catalase; C034236:ferrous oxide; C030973:cupric oxide
Edible plants; Enzymatic stress; Hydroponics; Nanoscale oxides; Nutritional quality