Size-dependent biological effect of copper oxide nanoparticles exposure on cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have received considerable attention for their toxic effects on crops and potential application in agriculture. In order to investigate the biological effects of CuO NPs on plants, we exposed cucumber (Cucumis sativus) to two sizes of CuO NPs (510 nm, μCuO and 43 nm, nCuO). Results indicated that with concentration increased, the available Cu content in soil increased significantly. The addition of CuO NPs increased Cu content and other nutrient element (e.g., K, P, Mn, and Zn) content in plants. However, diverse particle sizes had different effects. The nCuO treatment had larger translocation factor, higher nutrient element content in fruits, and lower oxidative damage than μCuO treatment. Moreover, nCuO of 100 mg/kg could stimulate cucumber growth, while μCuO had no obvious effects on growth. Conclusively, CuO NPs could be used as copper fertilizer to supply copper to cucumber. The nCuO had better effects on improving the bioavailability of Cu and nutritional value of fruits. These results can help develop strategies for safe disposal of CuO NPs as agricultural fertilizer.