Phytotoxicity assessment of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on root elongation and growth of rice plant

This study was conducted to determine the phytotoxicity of 6 nm gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (IONPs) in terms of root elongation and the physiological performance of rice plants. Rice seeds (Oryza sativa L. var. Koshihikari) exposed to IONPs at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/L, had a significantly higher root elongation than the control and its bulk counterparts (IOBKs), indicating that the effect can be nanospecific. In a 14-week greenhouse pot experiment, the CO2 assimilation rate in IOBK and IONP-treated pots (500 and 1,000 mg/pot) decreased over time, with the decline (maximum 42.5 %) being less pronounced for IONPs, indicating that the effect cannot be inferred from the toxicity of nanoscale size iron oxide. Excessive adsorption of IONPs onto soil colloids with subsequent low water extractable iron was responsible for the unremarkable phytotoxic nature of IONPs in the rice plants. Amendment of IONPs coated with 20 mmol citric acid (IONPs-Cit) significantly diminished the CO2 assimilation rate and the decrease was similar to its bulk counterpart (IOBKs-Cit). However, maximum shoot growth inhibition (37 %) was associated with the application of IOBKs-Cit. It was concluded that massive accumulations of Fe plaque on the root surfaces of IOBKs-Cit treatments due to a decline in the pH of rhizoplane soils compared to the IONPs-Cit treatments were responsible for the remarkable shoot growth reduction. This study provided evidence of the phytotoxicity of gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles, demonstrating the lower toxicity of nanosized iron oxide compared to a microsized preparation under reductive conditions.