Unraveling the role of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a corn-soil system: Plant growth, oxidative stress and heavy metal(loid)s behavior

Xunfeng Chen; Shaohua Chu; Yaowei Chi; Juncai Wang; Renyuan Wang; Yimin You; Kashif Hayat; Muhammad Khalid; Dan Zhang; Pei Zhou; Jianxiong Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107802

Unraveling the role of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a corn-soil system: Plant growth, oxidative stress and heavy metal(loid)s behavior

Plant Physiol Biochem. 2023 Jul:200:107802. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107802. Epub 2023 May 30.

Authors

Xunfeng Chen¹, Shaohua Chu², Yaowei Chi³, Juncai Wang⁴, Renyuan Wang⁵, Yimin You⁶, Kashif Hayat⁷, Muhammad Khalid⁸, Dan Zhang⁹, Pei Zhou¹⁰, Jianxiong Jiang¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Biofuels Institute, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China; School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: chenxunfeng1991@163.com.
² School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: chushyt@sjtu.edu.cn.
³ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: cyw8103@163.com.
⁴ Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550001, China. Electronic address: wangjuncai12@126.com.
⁵ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: wangry1125@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁶ College of Forestry and Grassland, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China. Electronic address: youyimin@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁷ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: khayat97@hotmail.com.
⁸ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: Kokub32@gmail.com.
⁹ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: zhdsjtu@sjtu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. Electronic address: peizhousjtu@163.com.
¹¹ Biofuels Institute, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China. Electronic address: jxjiang@ujs.edu.cn.

PMID: 37269820
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107802

Abstract

In the age of nanotechnological advancement, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are drawing global attention. However, few studies have been published on the crop growth responses to CNTs in heavy metal(loid)s contaminated environments. A pot experiment was conducted to assess the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on plant development, oxidative stress, and heavy metal(loid)s behavior in a corn-soil system. Corn (Zea mays L.) seedlings were cultivated in soil containing Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As) that had been primed with 0, 100, 500, and 1000 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs. The application of 100 and 500 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs improved shoot length by 6.45% and 9.21% after 45 days, respectively. Total plant dry biomass increased by 14.71% when treated with 500 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs but decreased by 9.26% when exposed to 1000 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs. MWCNTs treatment did not affect Cd accumulation in plants. On the other hand, the bio-concentration factor of As was inversely associated with plant growth (p < 0.05), which was declined in MWCNTs treatments. Oxidative stress was aggravated when plants were exposed to MWCNTs, thus activating the antioxidant enzymes system in the corn. In contrast, TCLP-extractable Cd and As in soil significantly decreased than in the control. Additionally, the soil nutrients were changed under MWCNTs treatments. Our findings also revealed that a particular concentration of MWCNTs can mitigate the toxicity of Cd and As in corn seedlings. Therefore, these results suggest the prospective application of CNTs in agricultural production, ensuring environmental and soil sustainability.

Keywords: Antioxidant enzyme; Cadmium and arsenic; Carbon nanotubes; Plant growth; Soil nutrients.

MeSH terms

Arsenic*
Cadmium / toxicity
Metals, Heavy* / toxicity
Nanotubes, Carbon* / toxicity
Oxidative Stress
Plant Development
Seedlings
Soil
Soil Pollutants* / toxicity
Zea mays

Substances

Cadmium
Nanotubes, Carbon
Soil
Metals, Heavy
Arsenic
Soil Pollutants