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Contrasting effects of engineered carbon nanotubes on plants: a review

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A Correction to this article was published on 04 January 2018

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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.

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Change history

  • 04 January 2018

    Unfortunately, in the original publication of the article, Prof. Yong Sik Ok’s affiliation was incorrectly published. The author’s affiliation is as follows.

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Author notes

  1. Meththika Vithanage and Mihiri Seneviratne are the Co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Chemodynamics Project, National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka

    Meththika Vithanage

  2. International Centre for Applied Climate Science, University of Southern Queensland, West Street, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

    Meththika Vithanage

  3. Department of Botany, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nawala, Sri Lanka

    Mihiri Seneviratne

  4. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Mahtab Ahmad

  5. Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Binoy Sarkar

  6. Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Binoy Sarkar

  7. Korea Biochar Research Center and Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, Korea

    Yong Sik Ok

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  1. Meththika Vithanage
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  4. Binoy Sarkar
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Correspondence to Meththika Vithanage or Yong Sik Ok.

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A correction to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0050-3.

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Vithanage, M., Seneviratne, M., Ahmad, M. et al. Contrasting effects of engineered carbon nanotubes on plants: a review. Environ Geochem Health 39, 1421–1439 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-9957-y

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