Issue 6, 2024

Foliar application of iron-based nanofertilizers to wheat grown in a Cd-contaminated field: implications for food safety and biofortification

Abstract

Nanotechnology applications in agriculture have received considerable attention with the aim of improving crop production, nutritional quality and food safety. The comparative effects of four different iron-based nanomaterials (Fe NMs, 50 mg Fe L−1) on wheat were investigated following foliar application in a Cd-contaminated field trial. The results showed that α-Fe2O3 NMs, γ-Fe2O3 NMs and Fe3O4 NMs significantly reduced the Cd concentration in wheat grain (by 60.9%, 44.7% and 50.1%, respectively) below the established Cd safety threshold (0.1 mg kg−1), but only γ-Fe2O3 NMs could simultaneously improve grain yield (by 8.6%) and the PA/Fe molar ratio in white flour (17.9%) compared to the control. Furthermore, α-Fe2O3, γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NMs significantly lowered the dietary Cd exposure and health risk by 44.2–57.9% by reducing Cd concentrations and bioaccessibility in wheat flour. The ionomic analysis demonstrated that with the exception of nZVI, elemental homeostasis was more sensitive to Fe NMs in the wheat leaf and glume, and a significant negative correlation between Cd and P, as well as Mo and Ca were observed. Overall, these findings highlight the significant potential of γ-Fe2O3 NMs as an effective foliar agent for safe wheat production and biofortification in nano-enabled agriculture.

Graphical abstract: Foliar application of iron-based nanofertilizers to wheat grown in a Cd-contaminated field: implications for food safety and biofortification

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Dec 2023
Accepted
28 Apr 2024
First published
02 May 2024

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2024,11, 2577-2590

Foliar application of iron-based nanofertilizers to wheat grown in a Cd-contaminated field: implications for food safety and biofortification

J. Lian, L. Cheng, X. Huang, X. Wang, Y. Wang, C. Deng, X. Xin, T. Zou, Y. Chen, H. Yu, W. Liu, J. Pan, Z. He, X. Yang and J. C. White, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2024, 11, 2577 DOI: 10.1039/D3EN00958K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements