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Effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on arsenic stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.): germination, early growth, and arsenic uptake

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Abstract

This study describes the role of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in alleviating arsenic (As) stress in rice (Oryza sativa) germination and early seedling growth. Seeds of rice were primed with different concentrations (10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 mg L−1) of ZnO NPs and As (0, and 2 mg L−1) for 12 days in petri dishes. Two milligrams per liter of As treatment represented a stress condition, which was evidenced by germination rate, seedling length, seedling dry weight, chlorophyll, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of rice shoot. ZnO NPs amendment (10–100 mg L−1) increased the germination rate (2.3–8.9%), shoot weight (18.2–42.4%), root weight (5.2–23.9%), and chlorophyll content (3.5–40.1%), while elevated the SOD (2.2–22.8%) and CAT (7.2–60.7%) activities and reduced the MDA content (17.5–30.8%). As concentrations were significantly decreased by 8.4–72.3% and 10.2–56.6%, respectively, in rice roots and shoots with ZnO NPs amendment (10–200 mg L−1) by the As adsorption of ZnO NPs and promoted biomass of rice. All the amendments improved the Zn concentrations in rice shoots and roots. Overall, ZnO NPs provide effective resistance to arsenic toxicity by increasing germination, biomass, and nutrients of Zn and decreasing As uptake in rice.

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Funding

We acknowledge the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019FZJD007), Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Anhui, and the Open Fund of Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention (FECPP201904).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, School of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

    Fan Wu, Qing Fang, Shiwei Yan & Wenling Ye

  2. College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Ling Pan

  3. Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Zhejiang University, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang, China

    Xianjin Tang & Wenling Ye

Authors
  1. Fan Wu
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  2. Qing Fang
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  3. Shiwei Yan
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  4. Ling Pan
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  5. Xianjin Tang
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  6. Wenling Ye
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Correspondence to Xianjin Tang or Wenling Ye.

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Responsible Editor: Gangrong Shi

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Wu, F., Fang, Q., Yan, S. et al. Effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on arsenic stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.): germination, early growth, and arsenic uptake. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 26974–26981 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08965-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08965-0

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