Bok choy (Brassica rapa) grown in copper oxide nanoparticles-amended soils exhibits toxicity in a phenotype-dependent manner: Translocation, biodistribution and nutritional disturbance

Chaoyi Deng; Yi Wang; Keni Cota-Ruiz; Andres Reyes; Youping Sun; Jose Peralta-Videa; Jose Angel Hernandez-Viezcas; Reagan S Turley; Genhua Niu; Chunqiang Li; Jorge Gardea-Torresdey

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122978

Bok choy (Brassica rapa) grown in copper oxide nanoparticles-amended soils exhibits toxicity in a phenotype-dependent manner: Translocation, biodistribution and nutritional disturbance

J Hazard Mater. 2020 Nov 5:398:122978. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122978. Epub 2020 May 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA; University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
² Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA; University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
³ Department of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
⁴ Texas A&M Agrilife Research and Extension Centre at El Paso, 1380 A&M Circle, El Paso, USA.
⁵ Environmental Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA; University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
⁶ Environmental Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA; University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West Univ. Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA. Electronic address: jgardea@utep.edu.

PMID: 32504955
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122978

Abstract

The comparative toxicity of nano/bulk cupric oxide (CuO) and ionic copper (Cu) in Rosie and Green bok choy (Brassica rapa) varieties, with higher and lower anthocyanin contents, respectively, was investigated. Both phenotypes were cultivated for 70 days in natural soil amended with nano CuO (nCuO), bulk CuO (bCuO), and Cu chloride (CuCl₂) at 75, 150, 300, and 600 mg Cu/kg soil. Essential elements in tissues, agronomical parameters, chlorophyll content, and Cu distribution in leaf were determined. In both varieties, nCuO treatments significantly increased Cu uptake in roots, compared with bCuO and CuCl₂ (p ≤ 0.05). At all treatment concentrations, Rosie variety had more Cu than Green. More physiological impairments such as chlorophyll and leaf biomass reduction were observed in treated-Rosie varieties, compared to Green plants. The adverse effects were higher in nCuO-treated plants than their bCuO- or ionic Cu-exposed counterparts. Different distribution patterns of the translocated Cu in leaf midrib and parenchyma depended on particle size and plant phenotype, as demonstrated by two-photon microscopy. The different effects of CuO-based compounds in Rosie and Green varieties may be related to the anthocyanin content. These findings help to understand the factors involved in nanoparticles uptake and translocation to plant edible parts.

Keywords: Anthocyanin; Bok choy; Cu uptake; Two-photon microscopy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Brassica rapa* / genetics
Copper / toxicity
Nanoparticles* / toxicity
Oxides
Phenotype
Plant Roots
Soil
Tissue Distribution

Substances

Oxides
Soil
Copper