Divergent effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles alone and in combination with cadmium on nutrient acquisition and the growth of maize (Zea mays)

Muhammad Ashar Ayub; Muhammad Zia Ur Rehman; Hamaad Raza Ahmad; Cyren M Rico; Ghulam Hassan Abbasi; Wajid Umar; Alan L Wright; Muhammad Nadeem; John-Paul Fox; Lorenzo Rossi

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1151786

Divergent effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles alone and in combination with cadmium on nutrient acquisition and the growth of maize (Zea mays)

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Mar 30:14:1151786. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1151786. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
² Institute of Agro-Industry and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
³ Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Indian River Research and Education Center, Fort Pierce, FL, United States.
⁴ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, United States.
⁵ Institute of Environmental Science, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Godollo, Hungary.
⁶ Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences Department, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, Indian River Research and Education Centre, Fort Pierce, FL, United States.

Abstract

Introduction: The increasing use of cerium nanoparticles (CeO₂-NPs) has made their influx in agroecosystems imminent through air and soil deposition or untreated wastewater irrigation. Another major pollutant associated with anthropogenic activities is Cd, which has adverse effects on plants, animals, and humans. The major source of the influx of Cd and Ce metals in the human food chain is contaminated food, making it an alarming issue; thus, there is a need to understand the factors that can reduce the potential damage of these heavy metals.

Methods: The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of CeO₂-10-nm-NPs and Cd (alone and in combination) on Zea mays growth. A pot experiment (in sand) was conducted to check the effect of 0, 200, 400, 600, 1,000, and 2,000 mg of CeO₂-10 nm-NPs/kg^-1 dry sand alone and in combination with 0 and 0.5 mg Cd/kg^-1 dry sand on maize seedlings grown in a partially controlled greenhouse environment, making a total of 12 treatments applied in four replicates under a factorial design. Maize seedling biomass, shoot and root growth, nutrient content, and root anatomy were measured.

Results and discussion: The NPs were toxic to plant biomass (shoot and root dry weight), and growth at 2,000 ppm was the most toxic in Cd-0 sets. For Cd-0.5 sets, NPs applied at 1,000 ppm somewhat reverted Cd toxicity compared with the contaminated control (CC). Additionally, CeO₂-NPs affected Cd translocation, and variable Ce uptake was observed in the presence of Cd compared with non-Cd applied sets. Furthermore, CeO₂-NPs partially controlled the elemental content of roots and shoots (micronutrients such as B, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, and Fe and the elements Co and Si) and affected root anatomy.

Keywords: cadmium stress; engineered nanoparticles; nutrient uptake; root anatomy; root barriers.

Grants and funding

Funding was provided by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and necessary resources and facilities were provided by IRREC, UF. The elemental analysis was carried out at Missouri State University by CM Rico who was funded by the National Science Foundation.