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. 2021 Sep 30;10(10):2080.
doi: 10.3390/plants10102080.

Impact of Metal-Based Nanoparticles on Cambisol Microbial Functionality, Enzyme Activity, and Plant Growth

Sergey Kolesnikov  1 , Alena Timoshenko  1 , Tatiana Minnikova  1 , Natalia Tsepina  1 , Kamil Kazeev  1 , Yulia Akimenko  1 , Alexander Zhadobin  2 , Victoria Shuvaeva  1 , Vishnu D Rajput  1 , Saglara Mandzhieva  1 , Svetlana Sushkova  1 , Tatiana Minkina  1 , Tamara Dudnikova  1 , Mahmoud Mazarji  1 , Saud Alamri  3 , Manzer H Siddiqui  3 , Rupesh Kumar Singh  4
Affiliations

Impact of Metal-Based Nanoparticles on Cambisol Microbial Functionality, Enzyme Activity, and Plant Growth

Sergey Kolesnikov et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

An increase in the penetration of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) into the environment requires an assessment of their ecotoxicity as they impair the critical activity of plants, animals, bacteria, and enzymes. Therefore, the study aimed to observe the effects of metal-based NPs, including copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), on the Cambisols, which cover a significant part of the earth's soil and play an important role in the biosphere. Metal-based NPs were introduced into the soil at concentrations of 100, 1000, and 10,000 mg/kg. The biological properties of the soil are being investigated as the most sensitive to external contamination. The highest ecotoxicity of the studied pollutants introduced into the soil at the same concentrations was shown by Cu (up to 34%) and Zn (up to 30%) NPs, while Ni NPs showed less (up to 22%). Microbiological (total number of bacteria, Azotobacter sp. abundance) and phytotoxic properties (radish seed germination and length of roots) of Cambisols were more sensitive (22-53%) to pollution by NPs of Cu, Zn, and Ni, while enzymatic activity (catalase and dehydrogenases) showed less sensitivity (14-32%). The present results could be useful for biomonitoring the state of contaminated soils, especially by NPs.

Keywords: Cambisols; biotesting; degree of sensitivity; ecotoxicity; informative value; stability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the result.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in the total number of bacteria and Azotobacter sp. abundance of Cambisols by Cu, Ni, and ZnNPs pollution. Note: Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) between the content of nickel, zinc, and copper nanoparticles at the same dose of their introduction into the soil, obtained as a result of the Student’s test. The absence of bands in the graph indicates the non-viability of the abundance of Azotobacter sp. with the introduction of 10,000 mg/kg of zinc and copper nanoparticles into the soil.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in catalase and dehydrogenase activity of Cambisols by CuNPs, NiNPs, and ZnNPs pollution. Note: Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) between the content of nickel, zinc, and copper nanoparticles at the same dose of their introduction into the soil, obtained as a result of the Student’s test.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Change in germination rate and root length of Cambisols by CuNPs, NiNPs, and ZnNPs pollution, % of control. Note: Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) between the content of nickel, zinc, and copper nanoparticles at the same dose of their introduction into the soil, obtained as a result of the Student’s test.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The relationship between the suppression of the microbiological and enzyme indicators of the Cambisols, germination of seeds, and the application rates of various NPs.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Change in IIBS of Cambisols by Cu, Ni, and Zn NPs pollution, % of control.
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