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Integrating Chlorophyll a Fluorescence and Enzymatic Profiling to Reveal the Wheat Responses to Nano-ZnO Stress
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Not relevant to microplastics — this study examines how different wheat cultivars respond to zinc oxide nanoparticle stress in soil, using chlorophyll fluorescence and enzyme activity to identify tolerant varieties.
It has been shown that increased concentrations of zinc oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZnO) in the soil are harmful to plant growth. However, the sensitivity of different wheat cultivars to nano-ZnO stress is still unclear. To detect the physiological response process of wheat varieties with different tolerance to nano-ZnO stress, four wheat cultivars (viz., cv. TS1, ZM18, JM22, and LM6) with different responses to nano-ZnO stress were selected, depending on previous nano-ZnO stress trials with 120 wheat cultivars in China. The results found that nano-ZnO exposure reduced chlorophyll concentrations and photosynthetic electron transport efficiency, along with the depressed carbohydrate metabolism enzyme activities, and limited plant growth. Meanwhile, the genotypic variation in photosynthetic carbon assimilation under nano-ZnO stress was found in wheat plants. Wheat cv. JM22 and LM6 possessed relatively lower Zn concentrations and higher leaf nitrogen per area, less reductions in their net photosynthetic rate, a maximum quantum yield of the PS II (Fv/Fm), electron transport flux per cross-section (ETo/CSm), trapped energy flux per cross-section (TRo/CSm), and total soluble sugar and sucrose concentrations under nano-ZnO stress, showing a better tolerance to nano-ZnO stress than wheat cv. TS1 and ZM18. In addition, the chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters Fv/Fm, ETo/CSm, and TRo/CSm could be used to rapidly screen wheat varieties resistant to nano-ZnO stress. The results here provide a new approach for solving the issues of crop yield decline in regions polluted by heavy metal nanoparticles and promoting the sustainable utilization of farmland with heavy metal pollution.
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Researchers found that applying zinc oxide nanoparticles to corn leaves helped protect the plants from the harmful effects of nanoplastic pollution. The nano-zinc treatment reduced nanoplastic accumulation in leaves and reversed much of the damage to plant growth and photosynthesis caused by the plastic particles. The study suggests that nano-fertilizers could serve as a tool for managing nanoplastic stress in agricultural crops.
Mitigating the effects of PVC microplastics and mercury stress on rye (Secale cereale L.) plants using zinc oxide−nanoparticles
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Researchers applied zinc oxide nanoparticles to rye plants exposed to PVC microplastics and mercury in soil, finding that ZnO-NPs mitigated some of the toxic effects by improving nutrient uptake and reducing oxidative stress. The study suggests nanoparticle-based approaches may help protect crops in microplastic- and heavy metal-contaminated soils.
Nano- and microplastics commonly cause adverse impacts on plants at environmentally relevant levels: A systematic review
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Systematic review of 78 studies found that nano- and microplastics commonly cause adverse effects on plants even at environmentally relevant concentrations, with germination and root growth more strongly affected than shoot growth during early development. Chlorophyll levels were consistently reduced while stress indicators (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes were consistently upregulated across species.
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A greenhouse study found that co-exposure of mung bean plants to ZnO nanoparticles and polyethylene or biodegradable PLA microplastics altered zinc uptake, root accumulation, and soil microbial community composition, with PE and PLA affecting different functional microbial guilds involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling. These interactions reveal that microplastics in agricultural soils do not act in isolation — they reshape the soil microbiome in ways that affect nutrient cycling and the transfer of potentially toxic metals into food crops.
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