THE STUDY OF PLANT GROWTH PATTERN IN PEA PLANTS (Pisum sativum) INDUCED BY DIFFERENT NANOMATERIALS

Nanotechnology a rapidly developing industry can have substantial impacts on economy, society and environment. Potential health and environmental effects of nanoparticles need to be thoroughly assessed before their widespread commercialization. Though there are few studies on cytotoxicity of nanoparticles on mammalian and human cell lines, there are hardly any reports on behavior of nanoparticles in plant cells. The aim of the present investigation is to determine the effect of different nanomaterials on the plant growth pattern using pea plant (Pisum sativum) as an indicator organism. Pea plant was treated with three different concentrations (1%, 5% and 10%) of three different nanomaterials [functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs)]. For each concentration three replications were used. The results demonstrated that exposure to functionalized SWCNT significantly decreased (p<0.05) the root and shoot length compared to controls. However 10% MWCNT and 10% Ag-NPs did not show any decrease in root and shoot length. We infer from this study that nanoparticles/nanomaterials could penetrate plant system and may impair stages of cell growth. The results of this study suggest that exposure to nanoparticles/nanomaterials has the potential to cause damage in plants as well. Since plants form an important component of the ecosystems; they needed to be included when evaluating the overall toxicological impact of the nanoparticles in the environment. Since this was a preliminary data, intensive study of the fate, transport, and exposure pathways of nanoparticles in the environment should be explored in detail for further evaluation.