A group of researchers in the USA has carried out an investigation using both gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC?MS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP?MS) to reveal that engineered nanoparticles can accumulate within plants and damage their DNA.
A group of researchers in the USA has carried out an investigation using both gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) to reveal that engineered nanoparticles can accumulate within plants and damage their DNA.1 These engineered nanoparticles are found in many commercial products and are often released into the environment. In the past it has been shown that metal‑based nanomaterials act as mediators of DNA damage in mammalian cells and organisms, but for the first time copper oxide nanoparticles have been revealed to induce DNA damage in agricultural and grassland plants.
The tests were performed on radish (Raphanus sativus), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum). GC–MS detected base lesions and ICP–MS measured copper uptake. There was significant accumulation of oxidatively modified, mutagenic DNA lesions and plant growth inhibition was observed. The lesion levels were measured in tandem to clarify the mechanisms of DNA damage.
The group concluded that they had produced the first evidence of multiple DNA lesion formation in plants and that this provided the basis for further research.
1. Bryant C. Nelson et al.,
Environmental Science and Technology
,
46
(3), 1819–1827 (2012).
This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.
Sustainable Green Solvents in Microextraction: A Review of Recent Advancements
March 27th 2024Conventional sample preparation can be time- and resource-consuming, and a green analytical methodology can be a game-changer for scientists, in addition to facilitating selective and sensitive separations.
Transferring Methods to Compact and Portable HPLC
February 14th 2024The current trend in laboratory equipment design is the miniaturization of laboratory instruments. Smaller-scale HPLC instruments offer benefits that cannot be matched by analytical-scale equipment, especially in the areas of portability, reduced fluid volumes, and reduced operating costs. Yet, the miniaturization of laboratory equipment has brought with it a unique set of challenges, including transferring methods to compact LC. Capillary LC expands the use of LC to applications not currently done using conventional LC in a wide array of application areas, including pharmaceutical, food and beverage, petrochemical, environmental, and oil and gas. Greg Ward, Axcend’s CEO wrote, “Customers want an HPLC system with a small footprint, low flow rates and green chemistry.” Join his podcast where he shares method transfer in these application areas.
High-Throughput Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Air, Water, and Soil Using SIFT-MS (Apr 2024)
March 27th 2024This study demonstrates high-throughput analysis of BTEX compounds from several matrices (air, water and soil). Detection limits in the single-digit part-per-billion concentration range (by volume) are readily achievable within seconds using SIFT-MS, because sample analysis is achieved without chromatography, pre-concentration, or drying. We also present a calibration approach that enables speciation of ethylbenzene from the xylenes in real time.