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Silver nanoparticles enter the tree stem faster through leaves than through roots
C Cocozza1, A Perone2, C Giordano3
1Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali, Università di Firenze, via San Bonaventura 13, Florence, Italy.
Tree Physiology
|June 11, 2019
Summary
Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) enter tree stems faster through leaves than roots. Ag-NPs impact tree biomass, cause oxidative stress, and alter microbial communities, with species-specific effects observed.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Plant Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Particulate matter, including nanoparticles (NPs), poses significant environmental and health risks, especially in urban settings.
- Limited understanding exists regarding the uptake, translocation, and accumulation of NPs within plant tissues.
- Trees are crucial components of urban ecosystems, making their interaction with NPs a critical research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the uptake, transport, and accumulation of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in three tree species: downy oak, Scots pine, and black poplar.
- To compare the effects of foliar versus root application of Ag-NPs on tree physiology and microbial communities.
- To determine the rate and pathways of Ag-NP entry into tree stems.
Main Methods:
- Ag-NPs were applied to the leaves (foliar treatment) and roots (root treatment) of oak, pine, and poplar saplings.
- Spectroscopy was used to quantify silver (Ag) concentration in leaves, stems, and roots.
- Biomass, stem length, oxidative stress indicators (H2O2, O2-), and microbial populations (bacteria, fungi) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Ag concentration in stems was higher with foliar treatment than root treatment, and higher in poplar than oak or pine.
- Foliar Ag-NP treatment reduced aboveground biomass and stem length in poplars, but not oaks or pines.
- Ag-NPs induced species-specific oxidative stress and altered leaf and root microbial communities.
- NPs entered tree stems through leaves faster than through roots across all species.
Conclusions:
- Trees exhibit species-specific mechanisms for interacting with, transporting, and storing NPs.
- Foliar application of Ag-NPs leads to more significant stem accumulation compared to root application.
- The study definitively shows that leaves are a faster entry point for NPs into tree stems than roots.
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