Native Dittrichia viscosa plant specimens growing near a steel factory were inspected for possible internalization of nanoparticles containing a mixture of chromium, iron, and nickel (Cr–Fe–Ni). There has not previously been evidence that nanoparticles of this composition generated during steel manufacturing processes can transfer to living organisms. This work seeks to also extend our understanding of the behavior of Dittrichia viscosa when exposed to the atmospheric fallout of particulate matter resulting from steel processing. It is unknown whether exposure to this fallout could influence uptake pathways in plants for Cr, Fe, and Ni containing nanoparticles. Dittrichia viscosa plant species were sampled from both a rural site and in proximity to an industrial region in Northern Tunisia that includes steel manufacturing activities. Different plant organs and the corresponding rhizospheres of Dittrichia viscosa were processed to isolate solid particulate matter. These isolated particles were analyzed using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. These solid fractions of isolated particles were also evaluated for their Cr, Fe, and Ni content by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. These analyses demonstrated the presence of nanoparticles containing either Cr, Fe, or Ni in the rhizosphere and roots, but indicated that the stems and leaves of the plants grown near steel manufacturing sites contained predominantly Cr–Fe–Ni nanoparticles, containing a mixture of all three elements. Plant organs harvested from the rural site had an absence of Cr–Fe–Ni nanoparticles. The results also suggested that internalization of the Cr–Fe–Ni containing nanoparticles may have occurred upon foliar uptake as a major transport mechanism as these particles are predominantly present in the leaves and stems of the plants as a result of atmospheric fallout depositing onto the aerials surfaces of the plants. This study demonstrates a potential pathway for the inclusion of heavy metal containing nanoparticles into ecosystems and the food chain.

中文翻译：

---

评估自然暴露于工业大气沉降物的天然 Dittrichia viscosa 中 Cr-Fe-Ni 纳米粒子的内化途径

检查了钢铁厂附近生长的原生Dittrichia viscosa植物标本是否可能内化含有铬、铁和镍 (Cr-Fe-Ni) 混合物的纳米颗粒。此前没有证据表明在钢铁制造过程中产生的这种成分的纳米颗粒可以转移到生物体中。这项工作还旨在扩展我们对Dittrichia viscosa在暴露于钢铁加工产生的颗粒物大气沉降物时的行为的理解。目前尚不清楚暴露于这种沉降物是否会影响植物对含铬、铁和镍纳米粒子的吸收途径。Dittrichia viscosa植物物种是从突尼斯北部的农村地区和包括钢铁制造活动的工业区附近取样的。对不同的植物器官和相应的Dittrichia viscosa根际进行处理以分离固体颗粒物。使用扫描透射电子显微镜 (STEM) 和能量色散 X 射线光谱 (EDS) 技术对这些分离的颗粒进行分析。还通过 X 射线荧光 (XRF) 光谱评估了这些分离颗粒的固体部分的 Cr、Fe 和 Ni 含量。这些分析表明，根际和根中存在含有 Cr、Fe 或 Ni 的纳米颗粒，但表明钢铁生产场地附近生长的植物的茎和叶主要含有 Cr-Fe-Ni 纳米颗粒，其中含有所有元素的混合物三个要素。从农村地区收获的植物器官不含 Cr-Fe-Ni 纳米颗粒。结果还表明，含 Cr-Fe-Ni 纳米颗粒的内化可能是在叶吸收时发生的，作为主要的运输机制，因为由于大气沉降物沉积在空中，这些颗粒主要存在于植物的叶子和茎中植物的表面。这项研究展示了将含有重金属的纳米粒子纳入生态系统和食物链的潜在途径。