Effect of engineered nanoparticles on soil biota: Do they improve the soil quality and crop production or jeopardize them?

Abstract

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have been shown to have the capacity to help study, manipulation,design, and synthesis of new nano-sized materials to manufacture new products with desirable features never seen before. The unique properties of materials at nanoscale opens an excellent possibility for nanotechnology to be used in soil environmental remediation, and water, and air decontamination. In crop management, nanomaterials are used to regulate the controlled release of nutrients, fertilizers, and pesticides. However, it is not only necessary to expose the positive effects by the application of the nanomaterials but also to demonstrate the impacts on soil and nontarget organisms (plants, mesofauna, macrofauna, and soil microbiota). In this context, pieces of evidence on the adverse effects of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) on the physicochemical and biological properties of soils are discussed in this paper. We have found a diversity of contradictory results. The summaries, findings, and conclusions of most of the investigations support the need to understand the biological or physicochemical transformation and transport of ENP in soil, and in the plant-organism relationship. Better understanding regarding the soil biota coupled with the ecological ENP behavior could ensure the safe use of ENP. Nanomaterials can change the physicochemical and biological properties of the soils; consequently, long-term in situ field trials are required, and meanwhile, land-application of nanomaterials should be limited to scientific experiments to fill knowledge gaps to not jeopardize the global food production or the environment and worldwide human health.

The first evidence of accumulation and avoidance behavior of macroinvertebrates in a forest soil spiked with human-made iron nanoparticles: A field experiment

“…Different to endogeic earthworms, the rest of the organisms found have an epigeal habit, i.e., they live on the soil surface (leaf litter), to this group belong spiders, ants, centipedes, and some predatory beetles, among others ( Huerta et al., 2008 ). The review by Pérez-Hernández et al. (2020) reported contradictory cases of effects of different metallics NPs on microfauna, mesofauna, macrofauna, and edible and inedible plants.…”

“…Consequently, due to the increased of NMs, the release into environmental systems is inevitable, representing a concern for scientists, technologists since it could be an emerging ecological contaminant ( Avila-Arias et al., 2019 ). Besides, ordinary people have also shown concerns regarding the unregulated use of engineering nano-sized materials or devices ( Pérez-Moreno et al., 2019 ; Pérez-Hernández et al., 2020 ).…”

Nano-Enable Materials Promoting Sustainability and Resilience in Modern Agriculture

“…Hence, in parallel to positive effects, it is worthy to also address potential or proved negative effects of nanomaterials applied through foliar or soil routes on plant-associated soil microorganisms [ 92 ]. However, the literature curation showed a contradictory trend in results and claimed even more in-depth investigations to get insights into the biological conversion and ENPs-plant-soil-microorganisms relationship [ 93 ]. Till now, various nano-based particles and materials, including organic and inorganic NPs, metal and metal oxides, CNTs, biochar, and biochar-based nanocomposites, graphene nanomaterials, quantum dots, have been used in the agricultural system whose pathogenic and antimicrobial behavior has been systematically well documented, however, the interactions of nanomaterials with soil microorganisms affecting food production are still poorly explored [ 94 ].…”

Assessment of TiO2 Nanoparticles on Maize Seedlings and Terrestrial Isopods Under Greenhouse Conditions

“…The use of engineering nanoparticles (ENPs) for soil decontamination has been highlighted due to surface modification chemistry and physical parameters of ENPs, which offer significant advantages compared to conventional methods for addressing environmental contamination (Rathor et al 2017;Tafazoli et al 2017;Cecchin et al 2017;Feizi et al 2018). For instance, as a country, Mexico has made progress and contributed to the generation of knowledge on environmental contamination caused by NPs in agriculture and natural soil (Delgado-Ramos 2014;Pérez-Hernández et al 2020;Pérez-Moreno et al 2019). In other countries as China, researchers have proposed the TiO 2 NPs in the decontamination of heavy metals (Cd, As, Pb, and others) in association with plants of maize (Lian et al 2020), rice (Zhang et al 2020;Wu et al 2021), wheat (Wu et al 2020), among others.…”

“…In Zea mays L, Bouguerra et al (2018) showed that the TiO 2 (1000 mg kg −1 ) was not toxic when added to natural soil. Due to these examples and other cases, controversies continue regarding the positive, adverse, and null effects in different plant species (Pérez-Hernández et al 2020).…”