Abstract
Recent agricultural applications of engineered metallic nanoparticles (ENPs) have raised concerns about their uptake and fate in plants. To understand this critical issue, this study investigated the fate and uptake of silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) ENPs in maize (Zea mays L.) after single or binary ENP exposure in soil. Results indicated that both Zn and Ag elemental concentrations in roots increased with increasing ENP dosage. Ag NPs in the tissues were detected, but not Zn NPs. Ag NP concentration was 3 times higher in the roots than in the shoots at low Ag NP dosing, while Ag NP size increased with dosing and became 20% smaller in the shoots. ENP uptake by maize was predominantly through fine root hair breaches. The coexisting ZnO NPs in general reduced the total dissolved Ag concentration by >42.9% in roots and >54.9% in shoots. However, particulate Ag (Ag NP) concentration was found to be 88.7% higher in roots with the 100 mg/kg ZnO NPs + 50 mg/kg Ag NPs treatment compared to the Ag NP-only group at 50 mg/kg. A higher ZnO NP dosage elevated maize height and shoot biomass, with significant effects observed at 200 mg/kg ZnO NPs. A moderate Ag NP dose at 50 mg/kg increased both height and biomass. Notably, the 50 mg/kg ZnO NPs + 25 mg/kg Ag NPs treatment significantly increased shoot biomass (>49.0%) compared to the control and the corresponding single ENP groups. ENP treatment also altered the micronutrient status in plants. ZnO NPs decreased Cu content but Ag NPs elevated Mo level in roots. The findings provide the first evidence of Ag NP–ZnO NP interactions in the soil–plant ecosystem, highlighting implications for nanoagrochemical efficacy, safety, and crop productivity.
Recommended Citation
L. Xu et al., "Uptake and Fate of Silver and Zinc Engineered Nanoparticles in Maize Under Single and Binary Dosing Soil Ecosystems," ACS Agricultural Science and Technology, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 617 - 627, American Chemical Society, Apr 2026.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1021/acsagscitech.5c00933
Department(s)
Chemistry
Second Department
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Binary treatment; Engineered metallic nanoparticles (ENPs); Maize; Plant−soil system; Uptake and fate
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2692-1952
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 American Chemical Society, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
20 Apr 2026
Included in
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons, Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons, Chemical Engineering Commons, Chemistry Commons
