Size- and Ligand-Dependent Transport of Nanoparticles in Matricaria chamomilla as Demonstrated by Mass Spectroscopy and X-ray Fluorescence Imaging

Evaluation of the effect of nanoparticles on the cultivation of edible plants by ICP-MS: a review

Nanoparticle (NP) applications aiming to boost plant biomass production and enhance the nutritional quality of crops hae proven to be a valuable ally in enhancing agricultural output. They contribute to greater food accessibility for a growing and vulnerable population. These nanoscale particles are commonly used in agriculture as fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth promoters, seed treatments, opportune plant disease detection, monitoring soil and water quality, identification and detection of toxic agrochemicals, and soil and water remediation. In addition to the countless NP applications in food and agriculture, it is possible to highlight many others, such as medicine and electronics. However, it is crucial to emphasize the imperative need for thorough NP characterization beyond these applications. Therefore, analytical methods are proposed to determine NPs' physicochemical properties, such as composition, crystal structure, size, shape, surface charge, morphology, and specific surface area, detaching the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) that allows the reliable elemental composition quantification mainly in metallic NPs. As a result, this review highlights studies involving NPs in agriculture and their consequential effects on plants, with a specific focus on analyses conducted through ICP-MS. Given the numerous applications of NPs in this field, it is essential to address their presence and increase in the environment and humans since biomagnification and biotransformation effects are studies that should be further developed. In light of this, the demand for rapid, innovative, and sensitive analytical methods for the characterization of NPs remains paramount.

Nano-Iron Oxide (Fe3O4) Mitigates the Effects of Microplastics on a Ryegrass Soil-Microbe-Plant System

To understand microplastic-nanomaterial interactions in agricultural systems, a randomized block 90-day pot experiment was set up to cultivate ryegrass seedings in a typical red sandy soil amended with compost (1:9 ratio). Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) microplastic (MP) contaminants were added into pot soils at 0.1 and 10%, whereas nano-Fe3O4 (as nanoenabled agrochemicals) was added at 0.1% and 0.5% in comparison with chemical-free controls. The combination of nano-Fe3O4 and MPs significantly increased the soil pH (+3% to + 17%) but decreased the total nitrogen content (-9% to - 30%; P < 0.05). The treatment group with both nano-Fe3O4 and PE had the highest total soil C (29 g kg-1 vs 20 g kg-1 in control) and C/N ratio (13 vs 8 in control). Increased rhizosphere nano-Fe3O4 concentrations promoted ryegrass growth (+42% dry weight) by enhancing the chlorophyll (+20%) and carotenoid (+15%) activities. Plant leaf and root peroxidase enzyme activity was more significantly affected by nano-Fe3O4 with PVC (+15%) than with PE (+6%). Nano-Fe3O4 significantly changed the ryegrass bacterial community structure from belowground (the rhizoplane and root endosphere) to aboveground (the phylloplane). Under MP contamination, the addition of nano-Fe3O4 increased bacterial diversity (+0.35%) and abundance (+30%) in the phylloplane and further intensified the connectivity of ryegrass aboveground bacterial networks (positive association increased 17%). The structural equation model showed that the change in the plant microbiome was associated with the rhizosphere microbiome. Overall, these findings imply the positive influences of nano-Fe3O4 on the soil-microbe-plant system and establish a method to alleviate the harmful effects of MP accumulation in soils.

Size-Dependent In Vivo Transport of Nanoparticles: Implications for Delivery, Targeting, and Clearance

Understanding the in vivo transport of nanoparticles provides guidelines for designing nanomedicines with higher efficacy and fewer side effects. Among many factors, the size of nanoparticles plays a key role in controlling their in vivo transport behaviors due to the existence of various physiological size thresholds within the body and size-dependent nano-bio interactions. Encouraged by the evolving discoveries of nanoparticle-size-dependent biological effects, we believe that it is necessary to systematically summarize the size-scaling laws of nanoparticle transport in vivo. In this review, we summarized the size effect of nanoparticles on their in vivo transport along their journey in the body: begin with the administration of nanoparticles via different delivery routes, followed by the targeting of nanoparticles to intended tissues including tumors and other organs, and eventually clearance of nanoparticles through the liver or kidneys. We outlined the tools for investigating the in vivo transport of nanoparticles as well. Finally, we discussed how we may leverage the size-dependent transport to tackle some of the key challenges in nanomedicine translation and also raised important size-related questions that remain to be answered in the future.

Synchrotron science for sustainability: life cycle of metals in the environment

The movement of metals through the environment links together a wide range of scientific fields: from earth sciences and geology as weathering releases minerals; to environmental sciences as metals are mobilized and transformed, cycling through soil and water; to biology as living things take up metals from their surroundings. Studies of these fundamental processes all require quantitative analysis of metal concentrations, locations, and chemical states. Synchrotron X-ray tools can address these requirements with high sensitivity, high spatial resolution, and minimal sample preparation. This perspective describes the state of fundamental scientific questions in the lifecycle of metals, from rocks to ecosystems, from soils to plants, and from environment to animals. Key X-ray capabilities and facility infrastructure for future synchrotron-based analytical resources serving these areas are summarized, and potential opportunities for future experiments are explored.