Impact of Engineered Nanoparticles on Microbial Communities, Soil Health and Plants

Today, nanoparticles (NPs) have received tremendous attention due to their unusual properties and multiple applications. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are applied in medicine, industries, agriculture, space science, etc. Anthropogenic release of ENPs to the environment poses a potential hazard to soil, plants, and human health. Soil is a major repository of ENPs and its exposure modulates microbial diversity, soil properties, and plant growth. The effects of ENPs on soil result in many anomalies on soil properties and plants. Soil enzymes such as dehydrogenase, urease, and phosphatase are highly affected by ENPs. ENPs exert toxic effects on multiple economically important crops and trigger severe oxidative stress in plants leading to cell death. Due to their unique size, ENPs penetrate plant tissues and translocate from one part to another. Also, uptake, translocation, and accumulation of ENPs in crops pose potential risk to animals and human beings. Thus, in the present scenario, it is necessary to explore the effects of different ENPs on soil physicochemical, microbial community, and plant growth parameters. In this chapter, we will briefly highlight the effects of different ENPs on soil, microbs, and plant responses.