As a result of the widespread use of phosphorous fertilizers and herbicides in agriculture, the annual increase in emissions and accumulation of waste from industrial, fuel and energy enterprises, and chemical plants, there is an increase in concentrations of heavy metals in all ecosystems. This includes cadmium, which is one of the most toxic metals for all living organisms, including plants.

The D.I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Biotechnology of the Southern Federal University scientists have presented a new strategy for the detailed study of cadmium speciation and localization in cells and tissues of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in situ ("in situ", in the natural environment) using the latest physical methods based on the use of a synchrotron beam.

"For the first time, this study combines technological and analytical instrumental methods, including the synthesis of CdO nanoparticles and their qualitative and quantitative assessment, to study the transformation, structural and functional changes of CdO compounds in nano- and macroforms in plant tissues. This combined approach can be used to assess the risk associated with exposure to nanoparticles of various metal compounds," said Vishnu Rajput, PhD, highly qualified specialist at the SFedU D.I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Biotechnology of the Southern Federal University.

The complex of various methods used by the SFedU scientists, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDXMA and TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and experimental XAFS spectroscopy methods revealed quantitative differences in the elemental chemical composition. the composition of samples of barley roots and leaves.

"According to the results of X-ray diffraction analysis, CdO nanoparticles penetrate deep into the tissues of barley plants, where they accumulate and form new mineral phases. It was found that the toxic effects of CdO nanoparticles significantly affect the morphology of intracellular structures, which are the main organelles of photosynthesis, so destructive changes in them obviously reduce the level of metabolic processes that ensure plant growth. This study provided an opportunity to show how some instrumental methods can be combined to study the characteristics and behavior of nanoparticles in complex matrices of living organisms," said Victoria Shuvaeva, project leader, Doctor of Physico–Mathematical Sciences, leading researcher at the SFedU Research Institute of Physics. 

The study was published in the journal Environmental Research with the support of the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 21-77-20089 "Assessment of the state of polluted soils and plants using synchrotron methods."