Spontaneous plant species responses to engineered nanoparticles

Over the past twenty years, nanomaterials have made an extraordinary contribution for the development of new technologies in various fields. However, the risks associated with the flows of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) into the environment must be considered. Studies on the relationships between higher plants and nanomaterials started only in the second half of the 2000s. Relevant results were achieved in a relatively short time frame. However, significant knowledge gaps still exist. So far, majority of the studies were focused on food crops but from an ecological point of view, and hence the impact of ENP’s on the whole plants must be considered. Potentially harmful effects on wild plants could have severe consequences on food webs and ecosystem services, and therefore they should not be considered less critical. This chapter reports a literature review dedicated to the studies regarding the effects of ENPs on aquatic and terrestrial spontaneous plant species. While significant work has already been done on floating, submerged, and emerged macrophytes, studies on spontaneous terrestrial species are still in their very early stages.