1. Contrasting effects of engineered carbon nanotubes on plants: a review
- Author
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Mahtab Ahmad, Mihiri Seneviratne, Binoy Sarkar, Meththika Vithanage, Yong Sik Ok, Vithanage, Meththika, Seneviratne, Mihiri, Ahmad, Mahtab, Sarkar, Binoy, and Ok, Yong Sik
- Subjects
Plant growth ,Environmental Engineering ,soil microorganisms ,Population ,Plant Development ,seed germination ,Biomass ,Germination ,02 engineering and technology ,Carbon nanotube ,010501 environmental sciences ,engineering.material ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Plant Growth Regulators ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,law ,Environmental Chemistry ,Pesticides ,carbon nanotube ,Plant system ,Fertilizers ,education ,Plant Physiological Phenomena ,Soil Microbiology ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,General Environmental Science ,Water Science and Technology ,education.field_of_study ,Chemistry ,fullerene ,fungi ,Water ,food and beverages ,plant growth ,General Medicine ,Plants ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Agronomy ,slow-release fertilizer ,Seeds ,Shoot ,engineering ,Fullerenes ,Fertilizer ,Reactive Oxygen Species ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Rapid surge of interest for carbon nanotube (CNT) in the last decade has made it an imperative member of nanomaterial family. Because of the distinctive physicochemical properties, CNTs are widely used in a number of scientific applications including plant sciences. This review mainly describes the role of CNT in plant sciences. Contradictory effects of CNT on plants physiology are reported. CNT can act as plant growth inducer causing enhanced plant dry biomass and root/shoot lengths. At the same time, CNT can cause negative effects on plants by forming reactive oxygen species in plant tissues, consequently leading to cell death. Enhanced seed germination with CNT is related to the water uptake process. CNT can be positioned as micro-tubes inside the plant body to enhance the water uptake efficiency. Due to its ability to act as a slow-release fertilizer and plant growth promoter, CNT is transpiring as a novel nano-carbon fertilizer in the field of agricultural sciences. On the other hand, accumulation of CNT in soil can cause deleterious effects on soil microbial diversity, composition and population. It can further modify the balance between plant-toxic metals in soil, thereby enhancing the translocation of heavy metal(loids) into the plant system. The research gaps that need careful attention have been identified in this review. Refereed/Peer-reviewed
- Published
- 2017
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