Table 2.
Negative effects of nanoparticles on different food crops
| Nanoparticle | Particle size (nm) | Food crop | Concentration (mg/L) | Growth media | Observed toxicity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero valent Fe | - | Flax, Barley, Ryegrass | 2000, 5000 | Aqueous suspension | Completely inhibited germination | (82) |
| - | Barley | 300 | Sandy soil | Reduced germination | (82) | |
| - | Flax, Barley, Ryegrass | >1500 | Sandy and clay soil | No germination | (82) | |
| Ag (colloid) | 0.6–2 | Ryegrass | 10 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced germination (20%) | (82) |
| Ryegrass | 20 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced germination (50%) | (82) | ||
| Flax, Ryegrass | 10 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced shoot length | (82) | ||
| Barley, Ryegrass, Flax | 20 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced shoot length | (82) | ||
| Ag | 5 | Barley | 10 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced germination | (82) |
| Flax, Barley | 10 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced shoot length | (82) | ||
| Ag | 20 | Barley | 10 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced germination | (82) |
| Barley | 10 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced shoot length | (82) | ||
| Barley, Ryegrass | 20 | Aqueous suspension (0.1% v/v Tween 20) | Reduced shoot length | (82) | ||
| Ag | 100 | Zucchini | 100, 500, 1000 | 25% Hoagland solution | Reduced transpiration (41–79%) | (52) |
| 100 | Zucchini | 500, 1000 | 25% Hoagland solution | Reduced biomass (57–71%) | (52) | |
| Ag | <100 | Onion | 100 | Aqueous suspension | Decreased mitosis; disturbed metaphase; sticky chromosome; cell wall disintegration and breaks | (63) |
| Cu | - | Mungbean | <200 | Agar culture media | Reduced seedling growth | (23) |
| - | Mungbean | 800 | Agar culture media | Reduced shoot growth | (23) | |
| - | Wheat | <200 | Agar culture media | Reduced root and seedling growth | (23) | |
| 50 | Zucchini | 1000 | 25% Hoagland solution | Reduced biomass (90%) | (52) | |
| 50 | Zucchini | 1000 | Aqueous suspension | reduced root growth | (52) | |
| Si | 10 | Zucchini | 1000 | Aqueous suspension (0.2% sodium dodecyl sulfate) | Completely inhibited germination | (52) |
| Al | - | Ryegrass | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Decreased root length | (16) |
| - | Ryegrass | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced germination | (16) | |
| - | Corn, Lettuce | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced root length | (16) | |
| Zn | - | Radish, Rape, Ryegrass, Lettuce, Corn, Cucumber | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Highly reduced root growth | (16) |
| ZnO | 9–37 (mean: 19±7) | Ryegrass | 1000 | 1 strength hoagland solution | Reduced biomass, shrank root tips, epidermis and rootcap were broken, highly vacuolated and collapsed cortical cells | (43) |
| - | Corn | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced germination | (16) | |
| - | Radish, Rape, Ryegrass, Lettuce, Corn, Cucumber | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Highly reduced root growth | (16) | |
| 5 | Zucchini | 1000 | 25% Hoagland solution | Reduced biomass (78–90%) | (52) | |
| 8 | Soybean | 2000, 4000 | Aqueous suspension | Decreased root growth | (50) | |
| CeO2 | 7 | Alfalfa | 1000, 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Slightly reduced shoot growth | (50) |
| Tomato | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Significantly reduced shoot growth (30%) | (50) | ||
| Cucumber | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced shoot growth (20%) | (50) | ||
| Maize | 500, 1000, 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Significantly reduced shoot growth (30%) | (50) | ||
| Alfalfa | 500 | Aqueous suspension | Significantly reduced the biomass | (50) | ||
| Maize | 500–2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced germination | (50) | ||
| Maize | 4000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced root growth | (50) | ||
| Tomato, Cucumber | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced germination | (50) | ||
| Tomato | 1000–2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced root growth | (50) | ||
| Alfalfa | 2000–4000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced root growth | (50) | ||
| Soybean | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced germination | (50) | ||
| Al2O3 | 13 | Maize, Cucumber, Carrots, Cabbage | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced root growth | (83) |
| - | Corn | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced root length | (16) | |
| Single-walled carbon nanotube | 1.19 (major), 18, 722 nm | Rice | 400 | Half strength Murashige and Skoog basal medium | Delayed flowering, decreased yield | (40) |
| 8 | Tomato | 104, 315, 1750 | Suspension (35:65 w/w CNT:poly-3-aminobenzoic acid) | Most sensitive in root reduction | (34) | |
| Functionalized carbon nanotube | 8 | Lettuce | 104, 315, 1750 | Suspension (35:65 w/w CNT:poly-3-aminobenzoic acid) | Reduced root length at longer exposure | (34) |
| Multi-wallled carbon nanotube | - | Zucchini | 1000 | 25% Hoagland solution | Reduced biomass (38%) | (52) |
| - | Lettuce | 2000 | Aqueous suspension | Reduced root length | (16) | |
| Diameter range: 10–30 | Rice | 20, 40, 80 | Murashige and Skoog basal medium | Chromatin condensed inside the cytoplasm and caused cell death, plasma membrane detachment from cell wall and cell shrinkage | (36) | |
| TiO2/Inorganic bentonite clay | 30/1–60 | Maize | 300, 1000 | 0.1 strength hoagland solution | Inhibited hydraulic conductivity, leaf growth, and transpiration | (41) |