Abstract
Nanotechnology was well developed during past decades and implemented in a broad range of industrial applications, which led to an inevitable release of nanomaterials into the environment and ecosystem. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most commonly used nanomaterials in various fields, especially in the agricultural sector. Plants are the basic component of the ecosystem and the most important source of food for mankind; therefore, understanding the impacts of AgNPs on plant growth and development is crucial for the evaluation of potential environmental risks on food safety and human health imposed by AgNPs. The present review summarizes uptake, translocation, and accumulation of AgNPs in plants, and exemplifies the phytotoxicity of AgNPs on plants at morphological, physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. It also focuses on the current understanding of phytotoxicity mechanisms via which AgNPs exert their toxicity on plants. In addition, the tolerance mechanisms underlying survival strategy that plants adopt to cope with adverse effects of AgNPs are discussed.
Highlights
Due to their small size and unique chemical and physical characteristics, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) were developed and expanded for application in many industrial sectors and daily life
A great concern is arising related to the potential risk of destruction in the ecosystem, decline in food quality and yield, and even undermining of human health imposed by AgNPs
To this concern, understanding how AgNPs transfer through the ecosystem and exert impacts on plants is of crucial importance
Summary
Due to their small size (between 1 and 100 nm) and unique chemical and physical characteristics, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) were developed and expanded for application in many industrial sectors and daily life. It is reported that nearly 25% of all nanotechnology consumer products involve AgNPs [1]. An analysis of the wastewater from a sewage treatment plant indicated existence of AgNPs with a size of 9.3 nm and a concentration of 1900 ng/L [22]. The concentrations of AgNPs in surface water and sewage treatment are increasing significantly [21,23,24,25]. As plants are a vital part of ecosystem and the primary trophic level in ecosystems, representing the base of the food chain [36,37], a good understanding of the impacts of AgNPs on plants is of paramount importance for assessing their toxicity [38].
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