Mitigating Metal Toxicity in Plants Using Nanoparticles: Mechanisms and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture
Venuste Munyaneza, Wen Zhang, Sharjeel Haider, Lulu Ren, Ayaz Ali, Surya Kant, Guangda Ding
Abstract
Conventional agriculture’s reliance on chemical inputs poses risks to human health and the environment. Nanotechnology offers a promising alternative through engineered nanoparticles (NPs) that have a high surface area, solubility, and reactivity. This review highlights how NPs mitigate metal toxicity and soil acidification by enhancing nutrient delivery and reducing phytotoxicity. We discuss NP–soil–plant interactions, including uptake, translocation, and physiological responses, at the cellular and molecular levels. Ecotoxicological concerns, such as NP accumulation, microbial disruption, and long-term effects, are addressed. Innovative strategies like stimuli-responsive release systems and NP–microbiome co-delivery platforms are explored to improve efficacy and safety. NPs significantly enhance plant resilience by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities by up to 60%, improving nutrient uptake efficiency, and boosting plant growth by 15–55% under aluminum stress conditions across various species, including Brassica napus . This perspective identifies key knowledge gaps and offers future perspectives, positioning nanotechnology as a sustainable tool to enhance crop productivity under metal stress while maintaining ecological balance.