The rapid expansion of nanoparticle use has raised concerns about their prospective release into agricultural systems through application of biosolids or nano-functionalized agrochemicals and the potential impact of these engineered materials on crop plants and food safety. A wide variety of studies have been conducted with
crop plants to examine the toxicity of metallic nanoparticles. Many of these studies have been conducted under idealized conditions, such as in hydroponics or soilless media, and over relatively short periods of time. The primary goals of these studies have been to assess the physiological effects of the nanomaterials and determine their inherent toxicity. Additional studies have considered the genotoxicity of ENPs to plants or used eomic technologies to determine how ENPs influence gene and protein expression. More recently, some studies have examined the influence of exposure during the entire life cycle. Such studies provide a much needed perspective on the impact on yield of agricultural crops and not just the short-term physiological effect on growth. The resulting accumulation of metals from metal oxide ENPs such as nZnO, nCuO, and nCeO2 have also been reported in these studies, providing information useful in determining the potential impact of ENPs on the safety of the edible plant tissues