Study on the influence of gold and silver nanoparticles on essential elements distribution in garlic (Allium sativum) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) sprouts

• Grant number: 22/02167-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2022
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Cassiana Seimi Nomura
• Grantee: Aline Pereira de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/13392-6 - Effects of gold and silver nanoparticle exposure in the cultivation of beans and garlic sprouts by laser ablation- and single particle-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The remarkable worldwide production of nanomaterials and applications in different areas for biological and industrial purposes raises important environmental and public health issues. Thus, the inevitable increasing disposal of nanoparticles, such as silver (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), significantly increases the release of these compounds into the environment. In this scenario, the AgNPs and AuNPs found in the growth medium are potentially absorbed by plant roots and translocated to edible aerial parts of agricultural products, which may enter the food chain posing a potential risk to the human health and environment. However, the adverse effects caused by nanoparticles in different plant species remain unclear and there is a great incentive for the scientific community to obtain information about the translocation and accumulation of nanoparticles in the edible part of plants. Additionally, eventual competitions between nanoparticles and essential elements must also be considered, since antagonistic relationships may lead to the production of nutrient-deficient plants and foods with lower nutritional value. The development of methods that provide information about the influence of nanoparticles on two-dimensional elemental distribution in plant tissues may help to elucidate the mechanisms of absorption, mobility and eventual elemental competition in plant tissues. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an analytical tool that allows direct analysis of samples, requiring minimal or no pre-treatment, significantly reducing the total analysis time, in addition to avoiding sample contamination and analyte losses. Thus, the development of a LIBS imaging method is proposed in this research project to evaluate the influence of AuNPs and AgNPs on Ca and Mg translocation in garlic (Allium sativum) and mung bean (Vigna radiata) sprouts. This research project also envisages international partnerships for chemical imaging studies of Ag and Au as well as essential microelements to evaluate the effects of nanoparticles on elemental distribution in plant tissue by LA-ICP-MS. (AU)