Potential Impacts of Engineered Nanoparticles On Crop Productivity and Quality

Nanotechnology is growing rapidly and increasing number of consumer goods contains engineered nanoparticles (ENPs). Various new products with nanoparticles are being introduced and new applications of nanotechnology are being explored. The use of nanotechnology in food and agriculture sector is also growing rapidly. Major food companies are exploring the use of nanotechnology to develop advanced food packaging and ‘smart' food products. Similarly, farm applications of nanotechnology are being explored by agriculture related industry to improve the precision of farming operations. With these rapid developments, release of ENPs into the environment and contamination of irrigation waters may be inevitable. While consumer products containing ENPs are increasing, very few reports exist to assess the impact of ENPs on ecological systems including plants, wild life, and humans. In preliminary experiments, we observed that pepper and rice seeds absorbed fullerenes (C70 nanocarbon particles) through the seed coat during imbibition and as the seedlings grew fullerenes moved through the vascular system. In rice, fullerenes delayed flowering, reduced seed setting and were transmitted to the next generation plants. We also observed that the roots could take up fullerenes in irrigation water. As water evaporated through the stomata, fullerenes accumulated at the stomatal opening, which could influence gas movement through the stomata and eventually affect metabolic processes and the productivity. Our work also showed that quantum dots at high concentrations reduced the photosynthetic ability of algae. Possible implication of nanoparticles on agro ecosystems will be discussed.