NASA Study on Ionic Silver Effects on Lettuce Growth and Root Microbiome in Hydroponics

A National Aeronautics and Space Administration dataset from an experiment evaluating the impact of ionic silver biocide on lettuce in hydroponic and arcillite substrate systems. The study measured plant growth, nutrient uptake, and root-associated microbiome changes after 28 days of exposure to three silver concentrations (31 ppb, 125 ppb, and 500 ppb). Data was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling plant growth inhibition based on silver concentration and substrate type mentioned in the description
• Analyzing shifts in essential nutrient levels (Ca, K, P, S) in plant tissue in response to silver uptake
• Studying microbial community selection and alpha diversity changes in hydroponic root zones under ionic silver stress
• Investigating metagenomic pathway enrichment for carbon utilization and stress response in root-associated microbiomes

Strengths

• Experiment conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a credible source for space-related research
• Includes specific, measured concentrations of ionic silver (31 ppb, 125 ppb, and 500 ppb) and a 28-day growth period
• Provides concrete findings, such as silver detection at 7 ug/g (dry weight) in lettuce leaves at 125 ppb in hydroponics

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Experimental study comparing lettuce growth in arcillite and hydroponic setups with ionic silver treatments.

Time Range

Experimental period of 28 days; specific dates not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 20:06:25.408699; freshness should be verified

Geography

Likely a controlled laboratory environment; specific location not provided.