The management of waste containing nanomaterials, here termed “nanowaste,” is not yet sufficiently regulated at both national and international levels. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of nanowaste management, situating laboratory practices within the broader regulatory context, with special attention to the Basel Convention. We then discuss potential measures to avoid or minimize nanowaste, options for nanowaste recovery and recycling, nanowaste risk assessment, protective equipment, categorization, collection, storage, labeling, and ultimately, disposal. Building on occupational health legislation and practical laboratory experience, we propose initial technical guidelines tailored to research environments and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where relatively small but highly diverse volumes of nanowaste are generated. To illustrate their application, we supplement four case studies, including the disposal of orphaned samples, small-scale and large-scale disposal, and nanomaterial spills. To strengthen trust in nanotechnology and support responsible innovation, we emphasize the importance of applying the precautionary principle and treating nanowaste with unknown properties as potentially hazardous to both human health and the environment. By explicitly linking laboratory-level practices with national and international frameworks, this guideline serves both as an immediately applicable tool for researchers and SMEs and as a technical foundation to inform future Basel Convention Technical Guidelines on nanowaste.
{"title":"Nanowaste management in laboratory practice – a technical guideline","authors":"Fabienne Schwab, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Aline Scherz, Thierry Meyer, Bedia Begum Begum Karakocak, Alke Susanne Fink","doi":"10.1039/d6en00013d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00013d","url":null,"abstract":"The management of waste containing nanomaterials, here termed “nanowaste,” is not yet sufficiently regulated at both national and international levels. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of nanowaste management, situating laboratory practices within the broader regulatory context, with special attention to the Basel Convention. We then discuss potential measures to avoid or minimize nanowaste, options for nanowaste recovery and recycling, nanowaste risk assessment, protective equipment, categorization, collection, storage, labeling, and ultimately, disposal. Building on occupational health legislation and practical laboratory experience, we propose initial technical guidelines tailored to research environments and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where relatively small but highly diverse volumes of nanowaste are generated. To illustrate their application, we supplement four case studies, including the disposal of orphaned samples, small-scale and large-scale disposal, and nanomaterial spills. To strengthen trust in nanotechnology and support responsible innovation, we emphasize the importance of applying the precautionary principle and treating nanowaste with unknown properties as potentially hazardous to both human health and the environment. By explicitly linking laboratory-level practices with national and international frameworks, this guideline serves both as an immediately applicable tool for researchers and SMEs and as a technical foundation to inform future Basel Convention Technical Guidelines on nanowaste.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146223334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lifei Xi, Yamin Wang, Alfiz M Qizwini, Yee Yan Tay, Chris Boothroyd, Yeng-Ming Lam
Understanding how the morphology of nanocarriers influences their interaction with plants is crucial for assessing their impact on plant health, human safety, and the environment, as well as exploring their potential applications in environmental remediation, plant sensing, and target delivery in plants. In this study, we designed and synthesized hydrophilic gold (Au) nanospheres and nanowires encapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as target nutrient carriers, and studied their translocation in eggplants. Electron microscopy and elemental analysis reveal that both nanocarrier types can penetrate the leaf surface, redistribute within leaf tissues, and undergo long-distance transport to stems and roots via vascular-associated pathways. Distinct morphology-dependent behaviour is observed: spherical nanocarriers largely retain their shape during transport, whereas wire-shaped nanocarriers frequently appear as fragmented segments within plant tissues. Given the low fraction of nanospheres in the initial suspension, this observation indicates in planta transformation rather than selective uptake of pre-existing fragments. Nanocarriers are predominantly localised in cell walls, intercellular spaces, and phloem-associated regions, with roots acting as terminal compartments for accumulation or exclusion of non-essential elements. Together, these results demonstrate that nanocarrier morphology influences both structural stability and spatial distribution in plants following foliar exposure. While the underlying molecular transport mechanisms remain to be fully resolved, this study provides experimentally supported insights into morphology-dependent nanocarrier behaviour and offers a framework for the future design of plant-compatible nanocarrier systems.
{"title":"Unravelling the role of nanoparticle morphology during uptake and transport in eggplants","authors":"Lifei Xi, Yamin Wang, Alfiz M Qizwini, Yee Yan Tay, Chris Boothroyd, Yeng-Ming Lam","doi":"10.1039/d5en00920k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00920k","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding how the morphology of nanocarriers influences their interaction with plants is crucial for assessing their impact on plant health, human safety, and the environment, as well as exploring their potential applications in environmental remediation, plant sensing, and target delivery in plants. In this study, we designed and synthesized hydrophilic gold (Au) nanospheres and nanowires encapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as target nutrient carriers, and studied their translocation in eggplants. Electron microscopy and elemental analysis reveal that both nanocarrier types can penetrate the leaf surface, redistribute within leaf tissues, and undergo long-distance transport to stems and roots via vascular-associated pathways. Distinct morphology-dependent behaviour is observed: spherical nanocarriers largely retain their shape during transport, whereas wire-shaped nanocarriers frequently appear as fragmented segments within plant tissues. Given the low fraction of nanospheres in the initial suspension, this observation indicates in planta transformation rather than selective uptake of pre-existing fragments. Nanocarriers are predominantly localised in cell walls, intercellular spaces, and phloem-associated regions, with roots acting as terminal compartments for accumulation or exclusion of non-essential elements. Together, these results demonstrate that nanocarrier morphology influences both structural stability and spatial distribution in plants following foliar exposure. While the underlying molecular transport mechanisms remain to be fully resolved, this study provides experimentally supported insights into morphology-dependent nanocarrier behaviour and offers a framework for the future design of plant-compatible nanocarrier systems.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146223333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaoxiao Yao, Yu Shen, Peiguang Hu, Abigail Stitgen, Laura Kesner, Leslie R. Sigmon, Chaoyi Deng, Safia Z. Jilani, Zeev Rosenzweig, D. Howard Fairbrother, Juan Pablo Giraldo, Wade H. Elmer, Jason C. White, Christy L. Haynes
Nanomaterials are being increasingly studied for their use in agriculture to promote healthy crop growth and mitigate the damaging effects of plant diseases. Copper is among the elements delivered and managed with nanoenabled-agriculture practices, but it is challenging to balance copper levels because some doses mitigate disease, but in excess, it can be harmful and interrupt photosynthetic function. Carbon dots (CDs) are an emerging, sustainable class of fluorescent nanomaterials with affinity for copper ions that possess good biocompatibility and low toxicity, making them an ideal candidate for use in crop applications. Here, a range of CDs were synthesized from citric acid and urea with varied affinity for copper ions. We investigated how chelated copper affects CD fluorescence and structure, and we propose a mechanism for the chelation of Cu2+ by CDs. Additionally, the effects of the Cu–CD complex on both healthy and disease-bearing tomato plants were evaluated. The data show that the complex had no toxic effects on the plant and can increase seedling biomass by 44–61% when applied through a vacuum seed infiltration method. The desorption of copper from the Cu–CD complex exhibited a slow-release profile, indicating that CDs could be an effective tool for mitigating excess copper in plants.
{"title":"Uptake and impact of carbon dots and their copper complex on tomato health","authors":"Xiaoxiao Yao, Yu Shen, Peiguang Hu, Abigail Stitgen, Laura Kesner, Leslie R. Sigmon, Chaoyi Deng, Safia Z. Jilani, Zeev Rosenzweig, D. Howard Fairbrother, Juan Pablo Giraldo, Wade H. Elmer, Jason C. White, Christy L. Haynes","doi":"10.1039/d5en00576k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00576k","url":null,"abstract":"Nanomaterials are being increasingly studied for their use in agriculture to promote healthy crop growth and mitigate the damaging effects of plant diseases. Copper is among the elements delivered and managed with nanoenabled-agriculture practices, but it is challenging to balance copper levels because some doses mitigate disease, but in excess, it can be harmful and interrupt photosynthetic function. Carbon dots (CDs) are an emerging, sustainable class of fluorescent nanomaterials with affinity for copper ions that possess good biocompatibility and low toxicity, making them an ideal candidate for use in crop applications. Here, a range of CDs were synthesized from citric acid and urea with varied affinity for copper ions. We investigated how chelated copper affects CD fluorescence and structure, and we propose a mechanism for the chelation of Cu<small><sup>2+</sup></small> by CDs. Additionally, the effects of the Cu–CD complex on both healthy and disease-bearing tomato plants were evaluated. The data show that the complex had no toxic effects on the plant and can increase seedling biomass by 44–61% when applied through a vacuum seed infiltration method. The desorption of copper from the Cu–CD complex exhibited a slow-release profile, indicating that CDs could be an effective tool for mitigating excess copper in plants.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146208967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nanoplastics (NPs) have emerged as a persistent pollutant in aquatic bodies with significant ecological implications. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), despite being a widespread halide-containing synthetic polymer and ranked amongst the most toxic plastic types, has been understudied concerning its long-term toxicity, especially in its nanoform. Microalgae, being the primary producers, serve as toxicity indicators in the aquatic ecosystem. Hence, this study assessed the physiological effects of PVC-NPs at 10, 50, and 100 ppm concentrations on Coccomyxa sp. IITRSTKM4 over 14 days. PVC-NPs induced a 42% reduction in growth at 100 ppm along with increased cell aggregation and altered morphology. SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis confirmed the adsorption of PVC-NPs onto the microalgal surface. Further, oxidative stress was evidenced through elevated ROS, leading to enhanced lipid peroxidation and reduced photosynthesis. In response, the microalgae exhibited elevated levels of glycine betaine and antioxidant enzymes, denoting the adaptive, responsive mechanism of Coccomyxa sp. to PVC-NPs. Alongside this, a ∼1.2 to 1.3-fold rise in lipid and carbohydrate content was noted at 50 ppm. Concurrently, nearly a 1.6-fold increment in secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was observed, which is instrumental in hetero-aggregate formation. This study highlights the physiological resilience of the freshwater microalga Coccomyxa sp. to PVC-NPs, underpinning its behavioral and adaptive response to environmental contaminants, while unveiling promising avenues for sustainable remediation and bioenergy production.
{"title":"Elucidating the cellular adaptive response of Coccomyxa sp. upon exposure to PVC-nanoplastics (PVC-NPs) for production of bioenergy molecules","authors":"Ankita Roy, Boda Ravi Kiran, Mansi Tiwari, Shweta Tripathi, Krishna Mohan Poluri","doi":"10.1039/d5en00863h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00863h","url":null,"abstract":"Nanoplastics (NPs) have emerged as a persistent pollutant in aquatic bodies with significant ecological implications. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), despite being a widespread halide-containing synthetic polymer and ranked amongst the most toxic plastic types, has been understudied concerning its long-term toxicity, especially in its nanoform. Microalgae, being the primary producers, serve as toxicity indicators in the aquatic ecosystem. Hence, this study assessed the physiological effects of PVC-NPs at 10, 50, and 100 ppm concentrations on <em>Coccomyxa</em> sp. IITRSTKM4 over 14 days. PVC-NPs induced a 42% reduction in growth at 100 ppm along with increased cell aggregation and altered morphology. SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis confirmed the adsorption of PVC-NPs onto the microalgal surface. Further, oxidative stress was evidenced through elevated ROS, leading to enhanced lipid peroxidation and reduced photosynthesis. In response, the microalgae exhibited elevated levels of glycine betaine and antioxidant enzymes, denoting the adaptive, responsive mechanism of <em>Coccomyxa</em> sp. to PVC-NPs. Alongside this, a ∼1.2 to 1.3-fold rise in lipid and carbohydrate content was noted at 50 ppm. Concurrently, nearly a 1.6-fold increment in secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was observed, which is instrumental in hetero-aggregate formation. This study highlights the physiological resilience of the freshwater microalga <em>Coccomyxa</em> sp. to PVC-NPs, underpinning its behavioral and adaptive response to environmental contaminants, while unveiling promising avenues for sustainable remediation and bioenergy production.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"94 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146261128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jerusa M. Oliveira, Luciana R. de S. Floresta, Davi P. da Silva, Rener M. F. Duarte, Amanda I. dos S. Barbosa, Adenilson F. dos Santos, Edigar H. V. Dias, Gabriel T. T. Garibaldi, Dhandara E. de L. Sampaio, Marylu M. de Lima, André L. Saraiva, Vinícius P. Bittar, Foued S. Espindola, Felipe B. Valer, Valter Alvino, Thiago L. Rocha, Lucas Anhezini, Anielle Christine A. Silva
This work reports the first systematic investigation of the structural, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties of Fe–ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposites (NCPs), highlighting the influence of Fe doping across a wide range (0.05–11 wt%) and the formation of Fe2O3 at higher concentrations. The nanocomposites were synthesized via a controlled chemical route and comprehensively analyzed through photocatalytic, antiglycation, and biological assays. Structural and magnetic characterization confirmed the formation of Fe2O3 at concentrations of ≥1 wt% Fe, which modifies the crystalline and magnetic profiles. Increasing the Fe content reduced photocatalytic efficiency due to electron–hole recombination but enhanced antiglycation activity, revealing therapeutic potential against AGE-related diseases. Biocompatibility assays (RAW 264.7 macrophages) indicated reduced ROS generation and higher cell viability, while antimicrobial assays confirmed strong inhibition of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. In vivo Drosophila assays demonstrated improved survival and reduced intestinal cytotoxicity compared to pure ZnO. These results confirm Fe–ZnO/Fe2O3 NCPs as promising, low-toxicity multifunctional materials for biomedical and environmental applications.
{"title":"Magnetic Fe-doped ZnO nanocomposites: concentration-driven tuning of biocompatibility and antimicrobial potency","authors":"Jerusa M. Oliveira, Luciana R. de S. Floresta, Davi P. da Silva, Rener M. F. Duarte, Amanda I. dos S. Barbosa, Adenilson F. dos Santos, Edigar H. V. Dias, Gabriel T. T. Garibaldi, Dhandara E. de L. Sampaio, Marylu M. de Lima, André L. Saraiva, Vinícius P. Bittar, Foued S. Espindola, Felipe B. Valer, Valter Alvino, Thiago L. Rocha, Lucas Anhezini, Anielle Christine A. Silva","doi":"10.1039/d5en00670h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00670h","url":null,"abstract":"This work reports the first systematic investigation of the structural, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties of Fe–ZnO/Fe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> nanocomposites (NCPs), highlighting the influence of Fe doping across a wide range (0.05–11 wt%) and the formation of Fe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> at higher concentrations. The nanocomposites were synthesized <em>via</em> a controlled chemical route and comprehensively analyzed through photocatalytic, antiglycation, and biological assays. Structural and magnetic characterization confirmed the formation of Fe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> at concentrations of ≥1 wt% Fe, which modifies the crystalline and magnetic profiles. Increasing the Fe content reduced photocatalytic efficiency due to electron–hole recombination but enhanced antiglycation activity, revealing therapeutic potential against AGE-related diseases. Biocompatibility assays (RAW 264.7 macrophages) indicated reduced ROS generation and higher cell viability, while antimicrobial assays confirmed strong inhibition of <em>S. aureus</em> and <em>P. aeruginosa</em>. <em>In vivo Drosophila</em> assays demonstrated improved survival and reduced intestinal cytotoxicity compared to pure ZnO. These results confirm Fe–ZnO/Fe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small> NCPs as promising, low-toxicity multifunctional materials for biomedical and environmental applications.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146223370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nanoplastics (NPs) in terrestrial environments have emerged as a growing concern due to their ability to migrate vertically through soil, threatening the quality of groundwater and posing risks to ecosystems and human health. This study investigates how particle size and soil texture control the transport of polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) under unsaturated conditions. Infiltration column experiments were conducted using two natural soils and carboxylated NP spheres of 120, 500 and 1,000 nm. Numerical modelling was applied to derive reactive transport parameters. Additionally, sorption experiments were performed to provide complementary information about the interaction between NPs and soils. Results show that a two-site kinetic model successfully describes the transport behaviour of PSNPs across different sizes. Smaller particles exhibit an overall higher mobility (51% of recovery), whereas larger particles are more strongly retained (1% of recovery). Chemical interactions dominate the fate of 120 nm NPs, while physical straining is the primary mechanism governing the immobilization of larger particles (500, 1,000 nm). Soil texture also exerts a major influence on PSNP dynamics: clay loam soils effectively retain even the smallest particles, while coarser soils with higher porosity and permeability promote vertical transport. This study advances current understanding of the mechanisms driving NP transport through unsaturated soils and contributes to developing mitigation strategies to abate the presence of these contaminants in the environment.
{"title":"Vertical transport of polystyrene nanoplastics in natural soils under unsaturated conditions: Influence of particle size and texture","authors":"Cynthia Rieckhof, Virtudes Martinez, Ekkehard Holzbecher, Raffaella Meffe","doi":"10.1039/d5en01183c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en01183c","url":null,"abstract":"Nanoplastics (NPs) in terrestrial environments have emerged as a growing concern due to their ability to migrate vertically through soil, threatening the quality of groundwater and posing risks to ecosystems and human health. This study investigates how particle size and soil texture control the transport of polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) under unsaturated conditions. Infiltration column experiments were conducted using two natural soils and carboxylated NP spheres of 120, 500 and 1,000 nm. Numerical modelling was applied to derive reactive transport parameters. Additionally, sorption experiments were performed to provide complementary information about the interaction between NPs and soils. Results show that a two-site kinetic model successfully describes the transport behaviour of PSNPs across different sizes. Smaller particles exhibit an overall higher mobility (51% of recovery), whereas larger particles are more strongly retained (1% of recovery). Chemical interactions dominate the fate of 120 nm NPs, while physical straining is the primary mechanism governing the immobilization of larger particles (500, 1,000 nm). Soil texture also exerts a major influence on PSNP dynamics: clay loam soils effectively retain even the smallest particles, while coarser soils with higher porosity and permeability promote vertical transport. This study advances current understanding of the mechanisms driving NP transport through unsaturated soils and contributes to developing mitigation strategies to abate the presence of these contaminants in the environment.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146208966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raveena R, Rajkishore S.K., Maheswari M, M Prasanthrajan, Sathyamoorthy Ponnuraj, N. Sritharan, Saranya N. Nallusamy, A. Bharani, R Sunitha
Climate change jeopardizes global food security through increasing temperatures, unpredictable precipitation patterns, and pronounced abiotic stressors including heat, salt, drought, and O 3 that reduce photosynthetic efficiency and crop yield. It likely to cause undernourishment for 1.7 billion people by 2050, exacerbated by population expansion and land degradation. To cope with such challenges, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) such carbon dots, graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes are novel nanobiostimulants that may improve crop photosynthetic stress tolerance. This review focuses on structure, property, function of these CNMs in plant system by elucidating their absorption mechanisms, systemic distribution, and subcellular localization within plant tissues. Mechanistically, CNMs improve photosynthetic efficiency under non-stress conditions by light capture, electron transport, and CO₂ assimilation rates.Under abiotic stress conditions, CNMs exert protective effects on the photosynthetic apparatus by reducing ROS accumulation, stabilizing thylakoid membranes and pigments, modulating stomatal conductance, and enhancing antioxidant enzyme. Their stress-specific ameliorative functions include improving leaf water retention and hydraulic conductivity under drought, ionic homeostasis and Na⁺/K⁺ balance under salinity, protein and membrane integrity under heat stress, and scavenging oxidative radicals under elevated O₃ exposure. Seed priming with CNMs promoted seed germination, improving both seedling vigor, and earlystage stress resilience via transcriptomic reprogramming of genes involved in photosynthesis, hormonal signalling, and stress responses. Overall, CNMs supports Sustainable Development Goals notably SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land) and holds promise for advancing sustainable agriculture practices. Existing research gaps in CNMs must addressed, including dose-specific variability within plant and lack of long-term environmental impacts and possible effects on soil microbial communities, as well as limitations in cost-effective and green synthesis methods. Moreover, the legal structures for CNMs in agriculture highlight the importance of for multidisciplinary cooperation among nanotechnology experts, toxicology researchers, and policymakers to guarantee safe utilization of CNMs in sustainable food production systems.
{"title":"Mechanistic Insights into Carbon Nanomaterials as Potential Plant Biostimulants: Enhancing Photosynthesis and Stress Tolerance for Climate-Resilient Agriculture","authors":"Raveena R, Rajkishore S.K., Maheswari M, M Prasanthrajan, Sathyamoorthy Ponnuraj, N. Sritharan, Saranya N. Nallusamy, A. Bharani, R Sunitha","doi":"10.1039/d5en00814j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00814j","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change jeopardizes global food security through increasing temperatures, unpredictable precipitation patterns, and pronounced abiotic stressors including heat, salt, drought, and O 3 that reduce photosynthetic efficiency and crop yield. It likely to cause undernourishment for 1.7 billion people by 2050, exacerbated by population expansion and land degradation. To cope with such challenges, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) such carbon dots, graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes are novel nanobiostimulants that may improve crop photosynthetic stress tolerance. This review focuses on structure, property, function of these CNMs in plant system by elucidating their absorption mechanisms, systemic distribution, and subcellular localization within plant tissues. Mechanistically, CNMs improve photosynthetic efficiency under non-stress conditions by light capture, electron transport, and CO₂ assimilation rates.Under abiotic stress conditions, CNMs exert protective effects on the photosynthetic apparatus by reducing ROS accumulation, stabilizing thylakoid membranes and pigments, modulating stomatal conductance, and enhancing antioxidant enzyme. Their stress-specific ameliorative functions include improving leaf water retention and hydraulic conductivity under drought, ionic homeostasis and Na⁺/K⁺ balance under salinity, protein and membrane integrity under heat stress, and scavenging oxidative radicals under elevated O₃ exposure. Seed priming with CNMs promoted seed germination, improving both seedling vigor, and earlystage stress resilience via transcriptomic reprogramming of genes involved in photosynthesis, hormonal signalling, and stress responses. Overall, CNMs supports Sustainable Development Goals notably SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land) and holds promise for advancing sustainable agriculture practices. Existing research gaps in CNMs must addressed, including dose-specific variability within plant and lack of long-term environmental impacts and possible effects on soil microbial communities, as well as limitations in cost-effective and green synthesis methods. Moreover, the legal structures for CNMs in agriculture highlight the importance of for multidisciplinary cooperation among nanotechnology experts, toxicology researchers, and policymakers to guarantee safe utilization of CNMs in sustainable food production systems.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"322 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146223132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arav Saherwala, Jun-Ray Macairan, Emma Geoffroy, Nathalie Tufenkji
The ubiquity of small plastic particles in the environment compels researchers to better understand their ecotoxicity, hence motivating the need for advanced methods to localize plastic particles within whole organisms. Nanoplastics (<∼1 μm) have proven particularly challenging to detect due to their small size, which has limited our understanding of their potential for biouptake and subsequent impacts. To address this research gap, this work focuses on detecting internalized plastic particles in a model freshwater organism (Daphnia magna) using a combination of histology and enhanced darkfield hyperspectral imaging (EDF-HSI). A cryotome was used to obtain histological slices of the whole organism and minimize the interference of biological tissue that impairs the visualization of plastic particles. Furthermore, this study presents a method to modify the spectral response of biomass using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The incorporation of the staining protocol with EDF-HSI enables the detection of ingested plastic particles, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylchloride, and polytetrafluoroethylene. The results demonstrate the detection of nanoplastics as small as 500 nm at low exposure concentrations (0.01 ppm). A key advantage of this method is that plastics do not need to be pre-labeled prior to internalization by organisms. This makes it a promising methodology for ecotoxicology studies since ingested unlabeled microplastics and nanoplastics can be localized inside an organism. The proposed method using EDF-HSI combined with biomass staining to analyze histological slices for the localization of nanoplastics within whole organisms will aid in improving our understanding of the fate and impacts of plastic pollution.
{"title":"Detection of unlabeled nanoplastics within Daphnia magna using enhanced darkfield hyperspectral microscopy","authors":"Arav Saherwala, Jun-Ray Macairan, Emma Geoffroy, Nathalie Tufenkji","doi":"10.1039/d5en00992h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00992h","url":null,"abstract":"The ubiquity of small plastic particles in the environment compels researchers to better understand their ecotoxicity, hence motivating the need for advanced methods to localize plastic particles within whole organisms. Nanoplastics (<∼1 μm) have proven particularly challenging to detect due to their small size, which has limited our understanding of their potential for biouptake and subsequent impacts. To address this research gap, this work focuses on detecting internalized plastic particles in a model freshwater organism (<em>Daphnia magna</em>) using a combination of histology and enhanced darkfield hyperspectral imaging (EDF-HSI). A cryotome was used to obtain histological slices of the whole organism and minimize the interference of biological tissue that impairs the visualization of plastic particles. Furthermore, this study presents a method to modify the spectral response of biomass using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The incorporation of the staining protocol with EDF-HSI enables the detection of ingested plastic particles, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylchloride, and polytetrafluoroethylene. The results demonstrate the detection of nanoplastics as small as 500 nm at low exposure concentrations (0.01 ppm). A key advantage of this method is that plastics do not need to be pre-labeled prior to internalization by organisms. This makes it a promising methodology for ecotoxicology studies since ingested unlabeled microplastics and nanoplastics can be localized inside an organism. The proposed method using EDF-HSI combined with biomass staining to analyze histological slices for the localization of nanoplastics within whole organisms will aid in improving our understanding of the fate and impacts of plastic pollution.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"328 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146208968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Glaciers are critical freshwater reservoirs, yet their vulnerability to emerging contaminants remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in snowpacks and runoffs from five glaciers of the southern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, revealing widespread presence, with Ti NPs and Al NPs predominating (up to 6983 and 111.5 ng L−1, respectively). Single-particle analysis shows downstream accumulation and size enlargement of MNPs in glacial runoffs, significantly correlated with hydrodynamic conditions, underscoring the role of runoff dynamics in shaping MNP transport and retention. Laboratory experiments indicate that environmentally relevant concentrations of individual or combined MNPs did not significantly inhibit Chlorella sp. growth, whereas exposure to Ti NPs at around 15-fold the maximum detected concentration causes marked growth inhibition, suggesting current levels may be approaching a potential ecological risk threshold. Our study provides comprehensive insight into the occurrence, fate, and ecological risk of human-derived MNPs in remote glacier environments, highlighting the importance of global strategies to safeguard high-altitude freshwater resources and ecosystem health from emerging contaminants.
冰川是重要的淡水储存库，但人们对它们对新出现的污染物的脆弱性知之甚少。本文研究了青藏高原南部5个冰川积雪和径流中的金属纳米颗粒（MNPs），发现其广泛存在，其中Ti NPs和Al NPs占主导地位（分别高达6983和111.5 ng L−1）。单颗粒分析表明，冰川径流中MNP的下游积累和大小扩大与水动力条件显著相关，强调了径流动力学在塑造MNP运输和保留中的作用。实验室实验表明，单个或组合MNPs的环境相关浓度不会显著抑制小球藻的生长，而暴露于最大检测浓度的15倍左右的Ti NPs会导致明显的生长抑制，这表明目前的水平可能接近潜在的生态风险阈值。我们的研究提供了对偏远冰川环境中人类来源的MNPs的发生、命运和生态风险的全面洞察，强调了保护高海拔淡水资源和生态系统健康免受新污染物侵害的全球战略的重要性。
{"title":"Metal nanoparticles in glaciers: occurrence, transport, and implications for freshwater ecosystems","authors":"Danyang Li, Yunqiao Zhou, Linlin Yao, Jie Gao, Guangxuan Wang, Yaquan Liu, Hua Qin, Yun Ding, Liu Zhang, Xiaoping Wang, Runzeng Liu, Jianbo Shi, Guangbo Qu, Guibin Jiang","doi":"10.1039/d5en01131k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en01131k","url":null,"abstract":"Glaciers are critical freshwater reservoirs, yet their vulnerability to emerging contaminants remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in snowpacks and runoffs from five glaciers of the southern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, revealing widespread presence, with Ti NPs and Al NPs predominating (up to 6983 and 111.5 ng L<small><sup>−1</sup></small>, respectively). Single-particle analysis shows downstream accumulation and size enlargement of MNPs in glacial runoffs, significantly correlated with hydrodynamic conditions, underscoring the role of runoff dynamics in shaping MNP transport and retention. Laboratory experiments indicate that environmentally relevant concentrations of individual or combined MNPs did not significantly inhibit <em>Chlorella</em> sp. growth, whereas exposure to Ti NPs at around 15-fold the maximum detected concentration causes marked growth inhibition, suggesting current levels may be approaching a potential ecological risk threshold. Our study provides comprehensive insight into the occurrence, fate, and ecological risk of human-derived MNPs in remote glacier environments, highlighting the importance of global strategies to safeguard high-altitude freshwater resources and ecosystem health from emerging contaminants.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146198789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Inorganic arsenic ions in consumable water poses a major threat to human health and well-being. Thus, continuous monitoring of As(III) ions is essential. Most of the graphene transistor uses SiO2 or HfO2 as the common dielectrics and graphene or reduced graphene oxide (rGO) acts as the receptor layers deposited on the channel or as semiconductor. The present study illustrates the fabrication of a liquid gated rGO field effect transistor (FET) by using semiconducting rGO and graphene oxide (GO) dielectric that can selectively detect trace levels of As(III) ions in consumable water. The as fabricated device showed excellent As(III) ion sensing performance with a maximum response of 500% for 40 ppm of As(III) with fast response and recovery times of 17.4 s and 11.76 s respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the device was found to be 0.720 ppb and 2.40 ppb respectively at room temperature when operated at an optimized Vgs = 0.5 V. The sensor demonstrated excellent specificity towards As(III) ions when exposed to similar concentrations of other comparable ions. It was found to be repeatable till 70 days with an accuracy of 98.4% and a response deviation of 2.2%. To further improve the quantification efficiency in mixed environment, the cross-sensitivity with Ni(II) ions was addressed by using linear regression algorithm which showed a R2 Score of 0.9732. An adsorption based model was put forward to demonstrate the sensing and the device functioning of the sensor. The sensor coupled to the as-developed optimized algorithm performed exceptionally under real-time environment when tested for tap and drinking water samples thereby showing an accuracy of 98%. Thus, the rGO FET based sensor outperforms conventional rGO based sensors and hence can be used as their suitable alternative to achieve enhanced As(III) ions sensing in solution.
{"title":"Trace Level Arsenic(III) Ion Detection in Water with Liquid-Gated rGO/GO Field Effect Transistor Based Sensor","authors":"Arijit Pattra, Bathula Satwik, Himanshu Pramod Padole, Sayan Dey","doi":"10.1039/d5en01060h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en01060h","url":null,"abstract":"Inorganic arsenic ions in consumable water poses a major threat to human health and well-being. Thus, continuous monitoring of As(III) ions is essential. Most of the graphene transistor uses SiO2 or HfO2 as the common dielectrics and graphene or reduced graphene oxide (rGO) acts as the receptor layers deposited on the channel or as semiconductor. The present study illustrates the fabrication of a liquid gated rGO field effect transistor (FET) by using semiconducting rGO and graphene oxide (GO) dielectric that can selectively detect trace levels of As(III) ions in consumable water. The as fabricated device showed excellent As(III) ion sensing performance with a maximum response of 500% for 40 ppm of As(III) with fast response and recovery times of 17.4 s and 11.76 s respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the device was found to be 0.720 ppb and 2.40 ppb respectively at room temperature when operated at an optimized Vgs = 0.5 V. The sensor demonstrated excellent specificity towards As(III) ions when exposed to similar concentrations of other comparable ions. It was found to be repeatable till 70 days with an accuracy of 98.4% and a response deviation of 2.2%. To further improve the quantification efficiency in mixed environment, the cross-sensitivity with Ni(II) ions was addressed by using linear regression algorithm which showed a R2 Score of 0.9732. An adsorption based model was put forward to demonstrate the sensing and the device functioning of the sensor. The sensor coupled to the as-developed optimized algorithm performed exceptionally under real-time environment when tested for tap and drinking water samples thereby showing an accuracy of 98%. Thus, the rGO FET based sensor outperforms conventional rGO based sensors and hence can be used as their suitable alternative to achieve enhanced As(III) ions sensing in solution.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"131 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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