LAUSR

Background Medicago polymorpha L., a seasonal vegetable, is commonly grown in China. The increasing use of nanoparticles (NPs) such as ZnO and CuO NPs in agriculture has raised concerns about their potential risks for plant growth and for human consumption. There is a lack of research on the effects of ZnO and CuO NPs on agronomic performance of Medicago polymorpha L. and their potential risks for human health. Methods In this study, different treatment concentrations of ZnO NPs (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg kg−1) and CuO NPs (10, 25, 50, and 100 mg kg−1) were used to determine their effects on the growth and nutrient absorption of Medicago polymorpha L., as well as their potential risk for human health. Results The results showed that ZnO and CuO NPs increased the fresh weight of Medicago polymorpha L. by 5.8–11.8 and 3.7–8.1%, respectively. The best performance for ZnO NPs occurred between 25–50 mg kg−1 and the best performance for CuO NPs occurred between 10–25 mg kg−1. Compared with the control, ZnO and CuO NPs improved the macronutrients phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca). The following micronutrients were also improved: iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), with the exception of nitrogen (N) accumulation. Low treatment concentrations exhibited more efficient nutrient uptake than high treatment concentrations. A comprehensive analysis showed that the optimum concentrations were 25 mg kg−1 for ZnO NPs and 10 mg kg−1 for CuO NPs. The potential non-carcinogenic health risk of Medicago polymorpha L. treated with ZnO and CuO NPs was analyzed according to the estimated daily intake (EDI), the hazard quotient (HQ), and the cumulative hazard quotient (CHQ). Compared with the oral reference dose, the EDI under different ZnO and CuO NPs treatments was lower. The HQ and CHQ under different ZnO and CuO NPs treatments were far below 1. This indicated that Medicago polymorpha L. treated with ZnO and CuO NPs did not pose any non-carcinogenic health risk to the human body. Therefore, ZnO and CuO NPs were considered as a safe nano fertilizer for Medicago polymorpha L. production according to growth analysis and a human health risk assessment.