Abstract
Recently, there is an increasing trend of using metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in agriculture due to their potential role in remediating soil pollution and improving nutrient utilization from fertilizers. However, evidence suggested that these NPs were toxic to the soil life and their associated functions, and this toxicity depended on their dose, type, and size. Here, a dose-dependent (5, 50, and 100 mg kg−1 soil) toxicity of NiO NPs on poultry manure (PM: 136 kg N ha−1) decomposition, nutrient mineralization, and herbage N uptake were studied in a standard pot experiment. The NPs doses were mixed with PM and applied in soil-filled pots where then ryegrass was sown. Results revealed that the lowest dose significantly increased microbial biomass (C and N) and respiration from PM, whereas a high dose reduced these parameters. This decrease in such parameters by the highest NPs dose resulted in 13 and 41% lower soil mineral N and plant available K from PM, respectively. Moreover, such effects resulted in 32 and 35% lower herbage shoot and root N uptakes from PM in this treatment. Both intermediate and high doses decreased herbage shoot Ni uptake from PM by 33 and 34%, respectively. However, all NPs doses did not influence soil Ni content from PM. Hence, our results indicated that high NPs dose (100 mg kg−1) was toxic to decomposition, nutrient mineralization, and herbage N uptake from PM. Therefore, such NiONPs toxicity should be considered before recommending their use in agriculture for soil remediation or optimizing nutrient use efficiency of fertilizers.
Highlights
The rigorous use of nanotechnology in developing various branches of the economy resulted in enhanced production and utilization of metallic nanoparticles (NPs)
We found that C O2 emission from the poultry manure (PM) was significantly higher after 19 days of incubation and this increment remained higher throughout the laboratory incubation in NP1PM treatment duration till 182 days (Fig. 1)
Our study provides the first evidence of dose-dependent toxicity of NiONPs to poultry manure decomposition, nutrient mineralization and its grass N uptake
Summary
The rigorous use of nanotechnology in developing various branches of the economy resulted in enhanced production and utilization of metallic nanoparticles (NPs). Several studies reported that application of NPs to soil would not affect pH, electrical conductivity or organic matter, irrespective of the NPs application rate/dose[11,13,14] Their influence on other soil biota and associated functions varies depending on the dose and type of the metallic NPs15–17. A few very recent dose dependent studies on NiO NPs resulted in contrasting effects on soil functions and plant growth and y ield[6,15,21,22,23]. Adeel et al.[21] defined that 5, 50 and 200 mg kg−1 soil are the low concentrations of NiONPs when they observed NPs influence on growth and reproduction parameters of earthworm species Eisenia fetida They found that the aforesaid low doses did not influence survival, growth rate and reproduction of these adult earthworms. Metallic NPs can be assessed as a potential candidate for safe utilization of poultry manure in agriculture
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