Volume: 4, 2025
4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: E024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.E024
Published online: 9 April 2025
ICDSUPL, 4, E024 (2025)
Pristine and modified CuO nanoparticles. Assessment the risk of accumulation in edible plants
Anna Ziarkowska1*, Mikołaj Feculak1, Izabela Jośko1
1 Institute of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: anna.ziarkowska@up.lublin.pl
Abstract
The intensive development of the nano-products industry and their exploitation results in the spread of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment. In the soil ecosystem, metal-based ENPs undergo complex transformations that change their physicochemical properties and determine their behavior in the soil environment and their impact on organisms, including plants. Nevertheless, there is a knowledge gap regarding the uptake, bioaccumulation and toxicity of transformed ENPs (trans-ENPs) in edible plants. Considering the risk of accumulation of ENPs containing heavy metals into trophic chains, it is of main importance to investigate the heavy metal content in edible parts of plants exposed to trans-ENPs in relation to the pristine ENPs (p-ENPs). The primary goal of the presented experiment was to assess the accumulation pattern of copper and other transition metals in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under the influence of p- and trans-ENP. The chemical modification of CuO ENP involved sulfidation of ENP (sulph-CuO ENP) by aging in sulfide ion solutions. The biological modification of ENP consisted of protein-coated BSA (BSA@CuO ENP). Doubly converted CuO ENP was obtained by the formation of a protein corona on sulfided ENP (BSA@sulph-CuO ENP).The p- and trans-Cu ENP, as well as CuSO4 were applied to the model soil LUFA 2. at concentrations of 20 and 200 mg Cu/kg and whole homogenized. Weekly spinach and lettuce seedlings were transplanted into soil and exposed to ENP for 3 weeks. The mineral composition of plant tissues (roots and leaves) was analyzed using the ICP-OES method. Additionally, the leaves were analyzed for pigment content (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b), as well as the content of oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde, glutathione). The obtained results revealed that exposure to p- and trans-ENP causes differences in the level of copper accumulation in edible parts of plants. The studies showed a significant dose-dependent (20 and 200 mg Cu/kg) effect of ENP on the accumulation of metals in plants. The results indicate a higher level of accumulation in spinach leaves (S. oleracea) than in lettuce leaves (L. sativa) about 105%, 55%, 41% for p-ENP-CuO, respectively; sulph-CuO ENP, BSA@sulph-CuO ENP. Understanding the mechanism of copper accumulation in edible plant parts may be crucial for improving the assessment of risks associated with human exposure to heavy metals.
Keywords: nanoparticles, plants, accumulation, human diet, heavy metal
How to cite
A. Ziarkowska, M. Feculak, I. Jośko, 2025. Pristine and modified CuO nanoparticles. Assessment the risk of accumulation in edible plants. In: 4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.E024