Abstract
Zinc is among the most in-demand metals in the world which also means that a considerable amount of this element is released to the environment each year as a result of human activities. A pot experiment was conducted to study the impact of low- and high-dose zinc amendments on plant growth and biomass yield, with Calcic Chernozem as a growing medium and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as a model plant. The distribution of zinc in various plant parts was also investigated. Zn (II) was added in powder as bulk ZnO and in solution as ZnO nanoparticles and ZnSO4 in two dosages (3 and 30 mmol kg−1 soil) prior to planting. The plants were harvested after 10 days of growth. The three sets of data were taken under identical experimental conditions. The application of zinc in aqueous solution and in particulate form (having particle sizes in the range of <100 nm to >500 nm) at concentration of 3 and 30 mmol Zn kg−1 to the soil resulted in decreased growth (root length, shoot length) and biomass yield; the only exception was the addition of 30 mmol Zn kg−1 in the form of bulk ZnO, which had a positive effect on the root growth. The dry weight reduction (sprout biomass) was lowest in plants grown in soil treated with dissolved zinc. There were no statistically significant changes in the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll, although flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) analysis indicated that plants bioaccumulated the zinc applied. This implies that the transport of zinc into the above-ground plant parts is controlled by the presence of effective mechanical and physiological barriers in roots. Crop performance under zinc stress in relation to biomass production and the growth of roots and shoots is also partly a reflection of the effects of soil properties. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering plant-soil interactions in research of potential toxicity and bioavailability of zinc in the environment.
Highlights
Small size and, the high surface-to-volume ratio of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) often offer advanced or novel properties compared to their bulk counterparts
Apart from many industrial applications, zinc is used in intensive animal farming and is commonly added to a pig diet at high concentrations there is potential for negative effects when Zinc oxide (ZnO)
Literary sources report doses starting at 2000 mg Zn kg−1 and so this concentration was selected as our upper-limit concentration value. Since cereals such as barley serve as a staple food for a large part of the world’s population, this cereal grain was tested under varied supply of zinc in soil culture
Summary
The high surface-to-volume ratio of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) often offer advanced or novel properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Plants 2020, 9, 1365 which was the largest application of the ZnO market in 2018, this white inorganic compound has been extensively used in ceramics, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical, and glass industries [4]. It is being applied as a catalyst or sorbent in desulfurization processes, in drilling fluids, varistors, solar cells, textiles, and it has even found its place in agriculture and food production. Using nanosized ZnO reduces the total amount of applied ZnO, offers an opportunity to engineer materials with enhanced properties and enables development of innovative applications in all fields of expertise [5,6]
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