An innovative methodology for assessing the risks of heavy metal nanoparticle exposure has been developed.
As a result of the widespread use of phosphorus fertilizers, herbicides in agriculture, and the annual increase in emissions and accumulation of waste from industrial, fuel, and energy enterprises, as well as chemical plants, there has been a rise in the concentrations of heavy metals across all ecosystems. This includes cadmium, which is one of the most toxic metals for all living organisms, including plants.
Scientists from the Southern Federal University (SFedU) have introduced a new strategy for the detailed study of cadmium speciation and localization in the cells and tissues of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in situ (in its natural environment) using the latest physical methods based on synchrotron beam technology.
“For the first time, this research combines technological and analytical instrumental methods, including the synthesis of CdO nanoparticles and their qualitative and quantitative assessment, to study the transformation, structural, and functional changes of CdO compounds in nano- and macroforms within plant tissues. This combined approach can be applied to assess the risk associated with the impact of nanoparticles from various metal compounds,” stated Vishnu Rajput, the project's main executor, PhD, and a highly qualified specialist at SFedU.
The researchers at SFedU utilized a range of different methods such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDXMA and TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and experimental XAFS spectroscopy techniques, which allowed them to identify quantitative differences in the elemental chemical composition of barley root and leaf samples.
“According to the results of X-ray structural analysis, CdO nanoparticles penetrate deeply into the tissues of barley plants, where they accumulate and form new mineral phases. It was found that the toxic effects of CdO nanoparticles significantly influence the morphology of intracellular structures, which are the main organelles for photosynthesis; thus, destructive changes in them evidently reduce the level of metabolic processes that support plant growth. This study demonstrated how various instrumental methods can be combined to investigate the characteristics and behavior of nanoparticles in the complex matrices of living organisms,” explained Victoria Shuvaeva, project leader, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and leading researcher at the SFedU Institute of Physics.
The research has been published in the Environmental Research journal with support from a grant from the Russian Science Foundation titled “Assessment of the State of Contaminated Soils and Plants Using Synchrotron Methods.”