Research Projects

There is a growing interest on nano-enhanced solutions in agriculture for sustainable agriculture and precision farming development thus improving seed germination, growth and plant protection. In addition, nanotechnology applications in agriculture are expected to provide innovative solutions to protect and remediate water and soils, thus boosting global food production and quality in an eco- friendly manner (Prasad, Kumar, & Prasad, 2014). However, the constantly growing population and resultant demand for higher agricultural yields and more effective strategies to optimize agricultural practices are needed, the use of nanoscale materials in agricultural science will inevitably increase its incidence in the environment and aquatic systems (Gogos, Knauer, & Bucheli, 2012). In this scenario, environmental and human exposure due to nanomaterial residues in soil and crops are expected to increase with exposure routes including possible bioaccumulation in the environment and food chain. As such, the deliberate introduction of nano-sized materials within agricultural activities, in fact, could result in unintended health outcomes (Kah, 2015). Putting the in-view the innovative and improved activities of nano-enhanced applications the new benefits and new hazards to human and environmental health must be considered by providing information on the spectrum of risks posed by nanoscale materials.