Volume 15, Issue 58 (4-2025)
NCMBJ 2025, 15(58): 95-105 |
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Nazari M, Iranbakhsh A, Ebadi M, Oraghi Ardebili Z. Long term effects of soil contamination with nanoplastics on physiology of tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum). NCMBJ 2025; 15 (58) :95-105
URL: http://ncmbjpiau.ir/article-1-1746-en.html
URL: http://ncmbjpiau.ir/article-1-1746-en.html
Institute of Converging sciences and Technologies, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. , iranbakhsh@iau.ac.ir
Abstract: (292 Views)
Aim and Background: Nowadays, the accumulation of nanoplastics in water and soil ecosystems has accompanied by critical environmental challenges, thereby threatening health of all living organisms, including plants and humans. Considering limited researches exploring the effects of nanoplastic contaminants on plants, this study was conducted to understand the physiological responses of tomato plants to nanopolyethylene.
Materials and Methods: Tomato seeds were planted in pots containing a culture medium containing cocopeat and perlite contaminated with different concentrations of polyethylene nanoplastics (diameter ranging from 20 to 40 nm), including 0 (control), 0.1 and 1 g nanoplastic per kg soil. Changes in some physiological indices, such as stem and root fresh weights, relative leaf water content, ion leakage rate, substomatal carbon dioxide concentration (Porometere device), and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity (spectrophotometry method) were evaluated.
Findings: Pot experiment confirmed the negative effects of soil contamination with nanoplastics. The decrease in stem fresh weight and root fresh weight indicated the toxic effects of nanoplastics on tomato growth. Soil pollution with nanoplastics significantly increased the stem diameter. With increasing nanoplastic concentration, the relative water content of leaves decreased significantly. Besides, the concentration of sub-stomatal carbon dioxide also decreased significantly in response to the nanoplastic pollutants. The exposure of tomato seedlings to the nanoplastic contaminant, the ion leakage index was linearly and significantly increased. Soil contamination with nanoplastics also caused significant induction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity.
Conclusion: The findings warn about the dangerous aspects of nanoplastics for agricultural ecosystems and food security. It is necessary to conduct further researches, thereby investigating the environmental effects of nanoplastics on plant life cycle, ecosystem, and food security.
Materials and Methods: Tomato seeds were planted in pots containing a culture medium containing cocopeat and perlite contaminated with different concentrations of polyethylene nanoplastics (diameter ranging from 20 to 40 nm), including 0 (control), 0.1 and 1 g nanoplastic per kg soil. Changes in some physiological indices, such as stem and root fresh weights, relative leaf water content, ion leakage rate, substomatal carbon dioxide concentration (Porometere device), and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity (spectrophotometry method) were evaluated.
Findings: Pot experiment confirmed the negative effects of soil contamination with nanoplastics. The decrease in stem fresh weight and root fresh weight indicated the toxic effects of nanoplastics on tomato growth. Soil pollution with nanoplastics significantly increased the stem diameter. With increasing nanoplastic concentration, the relative water content of leaves decreased significantly. Besides, the concentration of sub-stomatal carbon dioxide also decreased significantly in response to the nanoplastic pollutants. The exposure of tomato seedlings to the nanoplastic contaminant, the ion leakage index was linearly and significantly increased. Soil contamination with nanoplastics also caused significant induction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity.
Conclusion: The findings warn about the dangerous aspects of nanoplastics for agricultural ecosystems and food security. It is necessary to conduct further researches, thereby investigating the environmental effects of nanoplastics on plant life cycle, ecosystem, and food security.
Keywords: Tomato (Solanum Licopersicum), Soil pollution, stress, superoxide dismutase, nano-pollutant, nanoparticles.
Type of Study: Research Article |
Subject:
Cellular and molecular
Received: 2025/04/30 | Accepted: 2025/04/3 | Published: 2025/04/3
Received: 2025/04/30 | Accepted: 2025/04/3 | Published: 2025/04/3
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