Chapter 10 - Effects, uptake, translocation and toxicity of Ti-based nanoparticles in plants

Abstract

The recent advances in science and technologies enable farmers to adopt new tool/techniques to boost their food production which is highly needed to accomplish the great challenge of feeding the burgeoning human population predicted to be 9.8 billion by 2050. In current era, nanotechnology is catching great interest globally due to its extended applications in various fields including infrastructure, industries, medical, agriculture and science and technology. Among different nanoparticles (NPs), titanium dioxide (TiO2) based NPs have been widely used thus becoming the important part of daily life of human-beings. TiO2 NPs have been used since long in agriculture sector in particular as heavy metal remediater, stress manager, plant growth promoter and quality enhancer agent. TiO2 NPs having physiological, biochemical and morphological effects on plant's metabolic activity due to increased making of biomass and is also a proficient source of nutrients. Moreover, abiotic stresses faced by the plants are tolerated by application TiO2 NPs which triggers a defensive process in plants. The impact of TiO2 NPs varied with types, size, shapes, doses, duration of exposure, metal species along with other factors. However, the overapplication and leakage of TiO2 NPs proved to toxic to plants, soil oraganims and animals and humanbeings. The bioavailability of excess nanomaterials ultimately threatens ecosystems and human health. Therefore, critical understanding abount uptake, traslocation, accumulation and toxicity of TiO2 NPs are of great concern because of their crucial interface with the environment. The present chapter summarizes uptake, translocation and accumulation of TiO2 NPs, and their recognized ways of toxicity to plants/animals/humans/soil.