Nanomaterials in Agriculture and Their Potential Hazards: A Review
5 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology, Roosevelta 26-28, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
- 2JSW Szkolenie i Górnictwo Spółka z o.o., 44-336 Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland
- 3School of Nano Sciences (SNS), Central University of Gujarat (CUG), Kundhela, Vadodara 391107, India
- 4Research Center for Environmental Contaminants (RCEC), Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan 6313833177, Iran
- 5Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, 46117 Liberec, Czech Republic
Abstract
Nanomaterials are increasingly applied in modern agriculture to improve crop productivity, nutrient efficiency, and plant protection through fertilizers, pesticides, and delivery systems. However, their growing implementation raises significant concerns regarding environmental fate, ecological toxicity, and potential risks to human health. This review aims to (i) summarize current knowledge on nanomaterial applications in agriculture and (ii) critically evaluate their associated environmental and health risks. The manuscript integrates evidence on nanoparticle behavior in soil–plant–water systems, including transport, transformation, uptake, and accumulation across trophic levels. Particular attention is given to key toxicity mechanisms such as oxidative stress, membrane damage, genotoxicity, and bioaccumulation across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The review also highlights limitations of current studies, which are predominantly short-term and laboratory-based, lacking long-term field validation and standardized risk assessment approaches. Emerging approaches such as artificial intelligence-based optimization and commercial nano-enabled agricultural products, along with existing regulatory frameworks, are further discussed. By integrating agronomic, toxicological, and regulatory perspectives, this review provides a comprehensive systems-level overview of nano-enabled agriculture, emphasizing the urgent need for harmonized risk assessment methodologies, long-term environmental monitoring, and interdisciplinary research.
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BibTeX
@article{kabiesz2026nanomaterials,
title = {{Nanomaterials in Agriculture and Their Potential Hazards: A Review}},
author = {Patrycja Kabiesz and Dorota Palka and Anna Horzela-Miś and Jakub Semrau and Vinod V. T. Padil and Farshid Ghanbari and Stanisław Wacławek and Miroslav Černík and Mohammad Gheibi and Daniele Silvestri},
journal = {Nanomaterials},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nano16201281},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/20/1281},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Nanomaterials in Agriculture and Their Potential Hazards: A Review
AU - Patrycja Kabiesz
AU - Dorota Palka
AU - Anna Horzela-Miś
AU - Jakub Semrau
AU - Vinod V. T. Padil
AU - Farshid Ghanbari
AU - Stanisław Wacławek
AU - Miroslav Černík
AU - Mohammad Gheibi
AU - Daniele Silvestri
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Nanomaterials
DO - 10.3390/nano16201281
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/20/1281
AB - Nanomaterials are increasingly applied in modern agriculture to improve crop productivity, nutrient efficiency, and plant protection through fertilizers, pesticides, and delivery systems. However, their growing implementation raises significant concerns regarding environmental fate, ecological toxicity, and potential risks to human health. This review aims to (i) summarize current knowledge on nanomaterial applications in agriculture and (ii) critically evaluate their associated environmental and health risks. The manuscript integrates evidence on nanoparticle behavior in soil–plant–water systems, including transport, transformation, uptake, and accumulation across trophic levels. Particular attention is given to key toxicity mechanisms such as oxidative stress, membrane damage, genotoxicity, and bioaccumulation across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The review also highlights limitations of current studies, which are predominantly short-term and laboratory-based, lacking long-term field validation and standardized risk assessment approaches. Emerging approaches such as artificial intelligence-based optimization and commercial nano-enabled agricultural products, along with existing regulatory frameworks, are further discussed. By integrating agronomic, toxicological, and regulatory perspectives, this review provides a comprehensive systems-level overview of nano-enabled agriculture, emphasizing the urgent need for harmonized risk assessment methodologies, long-term environmental monitoring, and interdisciplinary research.
SN - 2079-4991
ER -