*6.1. Ecosafety Issues of Nanozinc-Derived Products and Devices*

Agriculture is a pivotal global enterprise thrusting the economies of most of nations. Therefore, the products or chemicals utilized for improving the nutritional status (fertilizers) [194,196,197] and for management of the plant pathogenic infections (pesticides) are anticipated to be utilized in quantum amounts. Therefore, a cautious and critical approach is desirable considering the atypical behavior in open, dynamic, and complex multicomponent systems. Further, the ecological nanotoxicity concerns of these materials need to be identified before approving the use of zinc nanomaterial-based agriproducts [205–207].

A pride and prejudice dilemma exists as zinc nanomaterials, particularly the ZnO NPs, are being exponentially synthesized due to amenability for easy and low-cost production processes [208,209]. Further, the functional versatility of nanomaterials renders them affordable for applications or use in diverse fields spanning over electronics, biomedicine [17,18], environment remediation [210], catalysis [211], agriculture [40], and cosmetics industries. However, the release of Zn nanomaterial through municipal wastewater/sewage water, industrial effluent, and surface wash water drifts these nanomaterials to contaminate diverse soil and water ecosystems posing gradual and subtle to drastic effects on soil and aquatic biota thereby exacerbating the health and sanctity of the contaminated eco-niches [212]. The semiconductor (oxidative stress-inducing) properties and heavy metal nature of the zinc nanomaterials (bioaccumulation) further complicate their ecotoxicity concerns [213] besides the fundamental nanoscale aspects (quantum size effects-size, shape, surface charge-dependent properties, and agglomeration/complexation processes), which lead to diverse cyto-/genotoxic and onco-/mutagenic effects [214]. The nano-Zn material and their dissolution product, i.e., Zn2<sup>+</sup> ions exhibit toxicity to all types of organisms or biotic components of all trophic levels [215]. Further, the occurrence of other pollutants may enhance the pernicious effects of nano-Zn-based products [214]. Therefore, long-term field studies need to be designed besides improvement in the in silico simulation modeling studies to well predict the aftermaths of the rampant use of nano-Zn-based products in agriculture.
