The abiotic drivers of soil system perturbation by metallic nanomaterials: a critical review bridging interfacial...

Metallic nanomaterials (MNMs), widely used in environmental remediation and agriculture, inevitably enter soils and interact dynamically with the abiotic components, such as soil air, pore water, clay minerals, and organic matter. These interactions are not passive; rather, MNMs function as systemic micro-drivers that actively reshape the soil environment through coupled multi-interface processes. This review critically examines these interfacial processes, including oxidative corrosion driven by soil air, aggregation and aging in pore water, electron transfer and co-evolution with clay minerals, and the reciprocal regulation of MNM stability and transformation by organic matter. Through these nanoscale mechanisms, MNMs propagate upward to alter macroscopic soil properties, such as structure, hydrology, pH, redox potential, and nutrient availability, via physical clogging, electron transfer, surface complexation, and redox reactions. However, current understanding remains largely qualitative; critical parameters, including kinetic rate constants, thermodynamic binding energies, and validated predictive models under field-relevant conditions, are lacking, limiting our ability to forecast MNM fate and effects. To address this gap, we identify priority research directions: in situ quantification of interfacial kinetics and energetics, molecular-level deconvolution of soil organic matter fractions governing MNM behavior, and development of cross-scale predictive models integrating coupled multi-interface processes. This integrated perspective aims to provide a scientific foundation for the safe and sustainable application of MNMs in soil environments.