Investigation of graphene phytotoxicity in the germination stage of wheat and barley

Graphene which is a monolayer of carbon atoms arranged in a two dimensional lattice, has attracted great attention in recent years. Due to its unique electrical, optical and thermal properties, graphene is a good candidate for applications in different fields such as lithium-ion batteries, electronic devices and nanomaterials area. Despite of increasing trends in nanotechnology, the effects of nanoparticles to terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric environments are still unknown. In this work, a series of tests were conducted to investigate the potential effect of graphene on the germination and seedling growth of terrestrial plants such as wheat and barley. Root and shoot growth of wheat and barley are evaluated with and without graphene. Varying concentrations (0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L) of graphene are exposed. The presence of graphene resulted in a decrease in root and shoot length. The highest concentration of graphene resulted in distinguished inhibition in wheat and barley.