The majority of the current production, use, and disposal of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) occur in terrestrial environments, and consequently terrestrial ecosystems are and will increasingly be some of the largest receptors of ENMs at all stages of their life cycles. In particular, soil is predicted to be one of the major receptors of ENMs due to ENM-contaminated biosolid fertilizer and nanopesticide application to agricultural fields, runoff from landfills or ENM-bearing paints, or atmospheric deposition. Both agricultural and natural systems are at risk to ENM contamination via these release scenarios, which makes it necessary to understand the interactions between ENMs, soils, and soil organisms such as plants in order to predict their impacts in real-world scenarios.

Gravity-driven vertical transport of TiO2, CeO2, and Cu(OH)2 engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and their effects on soil pH and nutrient release were measured in three unsaturated soils. ENM transport was found to be highly limited in natural soils collected from farmland and grasslands, with the majority of particles being retained in the upper 0-3 cm of the soil profile, while greater transport depth was seen in a commercial potting soil. Physical straining appeared to be the primary mechanism of retention in natural soils as ENMs immediately formed micron-scale aggregates, which was exacerbated by coating particles with Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM).

Changes in soil pH were observed in natural soils contaminated with ENMs that were largely independent of ENM type and concentration. These changes may have been due to enhanced release of naturally present pH-altering ions (Mg2+, H+) in the soil, likely via substitution processes. This suggests ENMs will likely be highly retained near source zones in soil and may impact local communities sensitive to changes in pH or nutrient availability.

Few studies have investigated the influence of environmental conditions on ENM uptake and toxicity, particularly throughout the entire plant life cycle. Here, soil-grown plants (Clarkia unguiculata, Raphanus sativus, and Triticum aestivum) were exposed until maturity to TiO2, CeO2, or Cu(OH)2 ENMs under different illumination intensities, in different soils, and with different nutrient levels. Fluorescence and gas exchange measurements were recorded throughout growth and tissue samples from mature plants were analyzed for metal content. ENM uptake was observed in all plant species, but was seen to vary significantly with ENM type, light intensity, nutrient levels, and soil type. Light intensity in particular was found to be important in controlling uptake, likely as a result of plants increasing or decreasing transpiration in response to light.

Significant impacts on plant transpiration, photosynthetic rate, CO 2 assimilation efficiency, water use efficiency, and other parameters related to physiological fitness were seen. The impacts were highly dependent on environmental conditions as well as ENM and soil type. Notably, many of these effects were found to be mitigated in soils with limited ENM mobility due to decreased uptake. These results show that abiotic conditions play an important role in mediating the uptake and physiological impacts of ENMs in terrestrial plants.