Effects of zinc-oxide nanoparticles on soil, plants, animals and soil organisms: A review

Abstract Zinc-oxide nanoparticles are being used in a wide range of commercial applications and are therefore expected to find their way into the soil ecosystem. Problems concerning Zinc-oxide nanoparticle toxicity, in-vitro and in-vivo testing methods for living organisms, the development of environmental health criteria and the acceptance of toxicity limits of metal nanoparticles, are topical. This review will contribute to understanding the fate and behaviour of Zinc-oxide nanoparticles in soil, their uptake and distribution within plants, animals, and microbes as well as their interactions with other pollutants. It is an essential prerequisite to environmentally realistic studies of the ecotoxicology of nanoparticles. Increased application of nanoparticles threatens communities as well as plants, terrestrial and aquatic animals. Thus, it is important to explore whether nanoparticles could compromise soil biodiversity and the important functions maintained by soil communities.