Vanadium uptake by higher plants: Some recent developments

The occurrence of vanadium in the biosphere, and the possible roles this element may play in the metabolism of living organisms, especially higher plants, are discussed. The aqueous chemistry of the element is reviewed, and the chemical properties of the element are related to those of soils and plants. Evidence is present for a biotransformation of vanadium from vanadate (VO ₃ ^– ) to vanadyl (VO²⁺) during uptake by plants, based on tissue analysis and ESR spectra. The significance of this process on the potential impact of vanadium in the biosphere is discussed.     

Arsenic intoxication in Southern Thailand: A historical overview

Arsenic (As) is known to be associated with both cancerous and noncancerous human diseases. Inorganic As in drinking water is the most common route of human exposure. A situation of environmental As intoxication is not common; however, in Thailand, there was a well-known situation of environmental As intoxication, namely the ‘black fever’ outbreak. A historical analysis of that disaster is hereby described and data based upon the event may provide useful information for environmental scientists.     

Arsenic toxicity in crop plants: physiological effects and tolerance mechanisms

Heavy metals are toxic substances released into the environment, contributing to a variety of toxic effects on living organisms in food chain by accumulation and biomagnifications. Certain pollutants such as arsenic (As) remain in the environment for an extensive period. They eventually accumulate to levels that could harm physiochemical properties of soils and lead to loss of soil fertility and crop yield. Arsenic, when not detoxified, may trigger a sequence of reactions leading to growth inhibition, disruption of photosynthetic and respiratory systems, and stimulation of secondary metabolism. Plants respond to As toxicity by a variety of mechanisms including hyperaccumulation, antioxidant defense system, and phytochelation. Arbuscular mycorrhizae symbiosis occurs in almost all habitats and climates, including disturbed soils. There is growing evidence that arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi may alleviate metal/metalloid toxicity to host plant. Here, we review (1) arsenic speciation in the environment and how As is taken up by the roots and metabolised within plants, and (2) the role of arbuscular mycorrhizae in alleviating arsenic toxicity in crop plants.     

The kinetics and possible significance of nitrate uptake by several algal-invertebrate symbioses

Nitrification in the coral reef community at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, elevated the nitrate concentration to above that of the nearby open ocean water. Reef corals and a zooxanthellae-bearing foraminiferan were shown to take up nitrate from nitrate-enriched seawater; a lag period was absent, indicating that the responsible enzymes did not require induction. The relationship of nitrate uptake to seawater nitrate concentration could be described by a hyperbola with a non-zero intercept on the abscissa. Corals are opportunistic in acquiring nitrogen; in addition to gaining particulate nitrogen from ingested food, they acquire dissolved nitrogen in the form of nitrate, ammonia and urea.     

Arsenic uptake and speciation in vegetables grown under greenhouse conditions

The accumulation of arsenic (As) by vegetables is a potential human exposure pathway. The speciation of As in vegetables is an important consideration due to the varying toxicity of different As species. In this study, common Australian garden vegetables were hydroponically grown with As-contaminated irrigation water to determine the uptake and species of As present in vegetable tissue. The highest concentrations of total As were observed in the roots of all vegetables and declined in the aerial portions of the plants. Total As accumulation in the edible portions of the vegetables decreased in the order radish ≫ mung bean > lettuce = chard. Arsenic was present in the roots of radish, chard, and lettuce as arsenate (As^V) and comprised between 77 and 92% of the total As present, whereas in mung beans, arsenite (As^III) comprised 90% of the total As present. In aerial portions of the vegetables, As was distributed equally between both As^V and As^III in radish and chard but was present mainly as As^V in lettuce. The presence of elevated As in vegetable roots suggests that As species may be complexed by phytochelatins, which limits As translocation to aerial portions of the plant.     

Arsenic,antimony, and other trace element contamination in a mine tailings affected area and uptake by tolerant plant species

The study was conducted to characterize mineralogical and elemental composition of mine tailings in order to evaluate the environmental hazards, and identify the metal accumulation potential of native plant species from São Domingos mine, one of the long-term activity mines of the Iberian Pyrite Belt dating back to pre-Roman times. The mine tailings including soils and different plant species from São Domingos were analyzed for determination of tailings characteristics and chemical element contents in tailings and plants. The large amounts of mining wastes are causing significant adverse environment impacts due to acid mine drainage production and mobilization of potentially toxic metals and metalloids in residential areas, agricultural fields, downstreams, and rivers. The typical mineralogical composition is as follows: quartz, micas, K-feldspar, olivine-group minerals, magnetite, goethite, hematite, jarosite, and sulfides. The mine tailings were highly contaminated by As, Ag, Cr, Hg, Sn, Sb, Fe, and Zn; and among them, As and Sb, main contaminants, attained the highest concentrations except Fe. Arsenic has exhibited very good correlations with Au, Fe, Sb, Se, and W; and Sb with As, Au, Fe, Se, Sn, and W in tailings. Among the all plant species, the higher concentrations of all the metals were noted in Erica andevalensis, Erica australis, Echium plantagium, and Lavandula luisierra. Considering the tolerant behavior and abundant growth, the plant species Erica australis, Erica andevalensis, Lavandula luisierra, Daphne gnidium, Rumex induratus, Ulex eriocladus, Juncus, and Genista hirsutus are of major importance for the rehabilitation and recovery of degraded São Domingos mining area.     

Arsenic accumulation by ferns: a field survey in southern China

The objective of this study reported here was to characterize arsenic (As) accumulation by Pteris ferns by comparing 3 of the ferns of this genus with each other as well as with four non-Pteris ferns growing on seven sites in southern China with different As levels. A total of 112 samples, including 78 Pteris vittata, 13 P. cretica, 3 P. multifida and 18 ferns from other non-Pteris genera, with the soils in which they grew were collected for As and other elemental analyses. P. vittata was found to be the most dominant species and the most efficient As-accumulator, whereas P. multifida was the lowest As-accumulator among the Pteris ferns, with 4.54–3599, 28.7–757 and 11.2–341 mg kg^–1 As recorded in the fronds of P. vittata, P. cretica and P. multifida, respectively. Arsenic concentrations in non-Pteris ferns were generally much lower than those in Pteris ferns, with 0.81–1.32, 3.59, 10.7, 6.17–24.3 mg kg^–1 in the fronds of Blechumum orientale, Dicranopteris dichotoma, Pteridium aquilinum and Cyclosorus acuminatus, respectively. For P. vittata, the As bioaccumulation factor (ratio of As in fronds to that in soils) changed, whereas the As translocation factor (ratio of As in fronds to that in roots) remained unchanged among the different sites. The concentrations of Fe were very high in all of the collected fern sample, with the exception of B.␣orientale, with 207–6865, 637–3369, 375–1856, 1876, 493-6865 and 492 mg kg^–1 in the fronds of P. vittata, P. cretica, P. multifida, C. acuminatus, P. aquilinum and D. dichotoma, respectively. The association between Fe accumulation and As accumulation and tolerance in these ferns indicates the unique role of Fe in As-hyperaccumulation.     

Insecticidal and antifungal chemicals produced by plants: a review

Leaf-cutting ants of the Attini tribe are a major pest of agricultural and forestry productions in the New World. Economic losses caused by these ants were estimated at several million dollars per year. These ants need to live in symbiosis with a basidiomycete fungus. Due to their mutualistic interaction with the symbiotic fungus, management of Attini ants can be done with insecticides or fungicides or both. So far, synthetic pesticides were the main control means, albeit with negative effects on the environment. Very few studies describe alternative methods for the control of leaf-cutting ants such as the use of insecticidal and fungicidal plant extracts. There is therefore a need of knowledge on phytochemicals and plants that could be used as insecticides and fungicides. Here, we review chemicals of plant origin and species with insecticidal and fungicidal activities. We establish a list of plants and phytochemicals that could manage leaf-cutting ants and also other insects, notably insects that use fungus-based agriculture. An exhaustive literature search of 1965 references from 1923 to 2010 was conducted using scientific databases, chemical databases, botanical databases, and books to identify published papers related to insecticidal and fungicidal chemical compounds stemmed from plant species. The major points are the following: (1) 119 and 284 chemicals have been cited in the literature for their insecticidal and fungicidal activities, respectively; (2) 656 and 1,064 plant species have significant insecticidal and fungicidal activities, respectively; (3) 3 main chemical classes were most cited for these activities: alkaloids, phenolics, and terpenoids; (4) 20 interesting chemicals with the both insecticidal and fungicidal activities were found; and (5) 305 plant species containing these chemicals were cited. To conclude, 20 chemicals: caryophyllene oxide, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, helenalin, linalool, menthone, myristicin, pulegone, thymol, anethole, anisaldehyde, elemicin, isopimpinellin, plumbagin, podophyllotoxin, psoralen, xanthotoxin, anonaine, solamargine, and tomatine; two main plant families, Lamiaceae and Apiaceae; and 17 species of these families were particularly interesting for the management of leaf-cutting ants.     

几种挺水植物对重金属锌的抗性能力及其影响因素

水生植物已被用于重金属污染水体的生态修复,但不同水生植物对重金属的抗性能力存在差异,选择对重金属抗性和吸收能力强的植物有利于提高污水生态修复效果.以4种挺水植物为材料,通过室内培养实验研究挺水植物对重金属锌的抗性能力及其影响因素,结果表明:挺水植物地上部分铁含量显著(p<0.05)低于根和根表铁氧化物胶膜上铁含量,铁主要积累在挺水植物地下部分.加入高浓度锌时,灯心草(Jancus effuses)和菖蒲(Acorus gramineus)对锌的抗性能力较强,而茭白(Zizania ceduciflora)和美人蕉(Canna indica)则较弱.挺水植物对锌的抗性能力与其根表铁氧化物胶膜含量和地上部分铁含量有关,铁氧化物胶膜可作为一个障碍层,而降低锌对植物的毒害,而植物地上铁与锌竞争植物叶中的代谢性敏感位点而降低锌对植物的毒害.灯心草对锌的抗性能力比较强与其根表铁氧化物胶膜和地上部分铁含量较高有关,灯心草可作为一种工程植物用于锌污染水体的植物修复.     

Uptake of seven metals by two macrophytes species: potential for phytoaccumulation and phytoremediation

Aquatic macrophytes can be used in the studies of quality of water ecosystems and in monitoring of metals and other pollutants. The aim of this study was to assess concentration levels, accumulation and distribution of seven metals in selected plant parts of Typha angustifolia L. and Iris pseudacorus L., in comparison with sediment and water samples of a reservoir. Metal content in the samples was determined by optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES iCAP 6500). The concentrations of all examined metals were higher in the sediment than in the water samples. In plants, metal concentrations depended on plant species and organs. The roots/rhizomes were primary organs for metal concentration and accumulation. T. angustifolia L. accumulated Mn and Cu, and I. pseudacorus L. accumulated Cd and Cu in the fruits. T. angustifolia L. hyperaccumulated As. The values of enrichment coefficients and translocation factors were: 0 to 3.31 and 0 to 2.39, respectively. The plant species investigated absorb, translocate and accumulate metals in their organs differently, which provides advantages in combining them for remediation of wasted aquatic ecosystems.     

湖南湘西铅锌矿区植物对重金属的积累

调查了湖南湘西铅锌矿区六个矿业废弃地的植被组成,采集了55科、152种共452份植物样品和74份土壤样品,分析了植物及土壤样品Zn、Mn、Cd、Pb和Cu的含量.结果显示,所有植物样品中Zn、Mn、Cd、Pb和Cu的平均含量分别为579、370、90.7、28.6和13.0 mg kg-1(干物质量).采自大田湾样点的满天星(Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides)叶片中镉含量最高,为310 mg kg-1(干物质量),其次是采自三立样点的加拿大杨(Populus canadensis)和地枇杷(Ficus tikoua),它们叶片中镉含量分别为231和212 mg kg-1(干物质量).镉含量超过100 mg kg-1(干物质量)的植物还有大田湾的醴肠(Eclipta prostrata)、鬼针草(Bidens bipinnata)、苦蘵(Physalis angulata)和半边莲(Lobelia chinensis),以及三立的苍耳(Xanthium sibiricum)和野艾蒿(Artemisia umbrosa)等,这些植物可能都具有超积累镉的潜力.调查区内,有些植物能积累多种较高浓度的重金属,如美洲商陆(Phytolacca Americana)、苍耳(Xanthium sibiricum)、光叶楮(Broussonetia papyrifera)和玉米(Zea mays)等,这些植物可用于重金属污染土壤的植物提取,有些植物如白茅(Imperata cylindrical)和五节芒(Miscanthus floridulus)等虽重金属含量较低,但具有发达的根系,因而可用于重金属污染土壤的植物固定.     

Diffusive gradient in thin films with open and restricted gels for predicting mercury uptake by plants

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The presence of mercury (Hg) in the environment is a major concern because mercury is toxic for living organisms. Estimating the Hg toxicity of environmental...     

不同湿地植物的根系酸化作用与重金属吸收

为研究不同湿地植物根系分泌物对水体的酸化能力与重金属吸收积累能力间的关系,选用六种对废水中重金属吸收能力较强的湿地植物进行了盆栽实验.这六种湿地植物分别是:稗(Echinochloa crus-galli)、空心莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)、茭笋(Zizania latifolia)、鸭舌草(Monochoria vaginalis)、柳叶箬(Isachne globosa)、辣蓼(Polygonum hydropiper).研究结果表明,不同种类的植物对水体的酸化能力存在明显差异,水体pH差异最大可达0.85个单位;不同湿地植物间对重金属的吸收积累能力有显著差异,而且在重金属积累量方面的差异明显高于重金属浓度方面的差异.相关分析表明,不同湿地植物水体pH与植株重金属积累量之间存在较好的负相关关系,相关系数达到或接近P0.05显著水平.研究结果说明,湿地植物对废水中重金属的吸收积累能力在相当大的程度上取决于其根系分泌物对水体的酸化能力.     

Arsenic bioaccumulation in rice and edible plants and subsequent transmission through food chain in Bengal basin: a review of the perspectives for environmental health

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that poses serious environmental threats due to its behemoth toxicity and wide abundance. The use of arsenic-contaminated groundwater for irrigation purpose in crop fields elevates arsenic concentration in surface soil and in the plants. In many arsenic-affected countries, including Bangladesh and India, rice is reported to be one of the major sources of arsenic contamination. Rice is much more efficient at accumulating arsenic into the grains than other staple cereal crops. Rice is generally grown in submerged flooded condition, where arsenic bioavailability is high in soil. As arsenic species are phytotoxic, they can also affect the overall production of rice, and can reduce the economic growth of a country. Once the foodstuffs are contaminated with arsenic, this local problem can gain further significance and may become a global problem, as many food products are exported to other countries. Large-scale use of rainwater in irrigation systems, bioremediation by arsenic-resistant organisms and hyperaccumulating plants, and the aerobic cultivation of rice are some possible ways to reduce the extent of bioaccumulation in rice. Investigation on a complete food chain is urgently needed in the arsenic-contaminated zones, which should be our priority in future researches.     

土壤重金属污染的植物修复中转基因技术的应用

重金属污染的植物修复技术以其费用低廉、不污染环境等优点一度成为环境科学界研究的热点。为了克服植物修复技术中超积累植物生长缓慢和地上部生物量小等带来的限制，近年来研究者通过大量试验研究发展，外源基因在植物体内的高效表达可以提高植物吸收、运输、降解污染物的能力和修复的效率。本文首先对目前国内外重金属污染土壤植物修复的研究动态进行综述，重点论述了PCs、MTs、MerA、MerB、ArsC、γ-ECS等转基因在土壤重金属污染植物修复中的应用，最后指出在充分考虑到转基因植物给生态环境带来潜在威胁的前提下，转基因技术的研究与开发不仅可以促进多学科的交叉研究和丰富环境科学的研究领域，更重要的是在很大程度上有效地克服了目前土壤重金属污染植物修复中存在并急需解决的棘手问题，为土壤重金属污染的植物修复提供了更加广阔的应用和发展前景。     

桑树(Morus alba L.)原位修复某尾矿区重金属污染土壤

木本植物具有根系发达、生物量大、适应性强等特点,可广泛用于重金属污染土壤修复.本文通过5年的田间修复试验,研究了桑树(Morus alba L.)对污染土壤中重金属的累积和分布特征、土壤中重金属和营养元素有效性含量的变化,来探讨桑树修复某尾矿区污染土壤中Mn、Zn和Cd等重金属的效果.研究结果表明,桑树生物量大,可用于重金属污染土壤的生态修复与景观恢复.田间种植5年后,桑树整株干重每株可达4 kg.桑树对土壤中重金属具有一定的转运和累积能力,地上部分中Cd、Zn和Mn等重金属含量明显大于根部,尤其是叶片中重金属含量明显大于枝和主干中的含量.修复5年后,桑树地上部分Zn和Mn的累积总量可达3277.7 mg·100 m~(-2)和2422.4 mg·100 m~(-2),且土壤中Mn和Zn含量分别从2192.5 mg·kg~(-1)和103.2 mg·kg~(-1)降低至1790.0 mg·kg~(-1)和85.94 mg·kg~(-1),同时土壤有效态Mn和Zn分别显著(P0.05)降低66.0%和28.6%.然而,桑树落叶中Cd、Zn和Mn含量分别可达0.36、64.5、189.2 mg·kg~(-1).因此,通过定期清除桑树落叶或刈割地上部分,可防止叶片中重金属对土壤造成二次污染,同时削减土壤中重金属含量.同时,经桑树修复5年后土壤中碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾含量均显著(P0.05)降低,需定期补充相应氮、磷和钾肥来强化桑树修复尾矿区重金属污染土壤.     

Soil organic matter and salinity affect copper bioavailability in root zone and uptake by Vicia faba L. plants

Processes that control the mobility, transformation and toxicity of metals in soil are of special importance in the root-developing zone. For this reason, there is a considerable interest in understanding trace elements (TEs) behavior in soil, emphasising the processes by which plants take them up. Increased root-zone salinity can affect plant TEs uptake and accumulation in plant tissue. Furthermore, copper (Cu) complexation by soil organic matter (SOM) is an effective mechanism of Cu retention in soils, controlling thus its bioavailability. Therefore, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of soil Cu contamination in a saline environment on faba bean (Vicia faba L.) element uptake. Treatment with NaCl salinity was applied (control, 50 mM NaCl and 100 mM NaCl) on faba bean plants grown in a control and in a soil spiked with Cu (250 and 500 mg kg^?1). Low and high SOM content trial variants were studied. Cu accumulation occurred in faba bean leaf, pod and seed. Cu contamination affected plant element concentrations in leaves (Na, Ca, Mg, Mn), pod (Zn, Mn) and seed (Mn, Mo, Zn). Root-zone salinity also affected faba bean element concentrations. Furthermore, Cu contamination—salinity and salinity—SOM interactions were significant for pod Cu concentration, suggesting that Cu phytoavailability could be affected by these interactions. Future research will be focused on the mechanisms of Cu translocation in plant and adaptation aspects of abiotic stress.     

粉煤灰中砷溶出特性及其与铁锰相关性分析

将不同燃煤电厂的粉煤灰分为0—2.5μm、2.5—10μm、10—60μm、60—100μm、100—200μm、>200μm不同粒径的样品,采用原子荧光光谱法测定了其中的总砷含量.粉煤灰对砷的富集效果与粒径呈明显的负相关.分别采用去离子水、醋酸、稀盐酸、盐酸羟胺、草酸铵-草酸和柠檬酸钠-连二亚硫酸钠为提取剂对不同粒径粉煤灰中的砷进行了提取.结果显示,去离子水可提取态砷占总砷含量的5.93%—18.70%,醋酸溶液提取砷占总砷的6.78%—16.91%,采用0.25 mol.L-1稀盐酸、0.6 mol.L-1稀盐酸、盐酸羟胺、草酸铵-草酸为提取剂可提取态砷占总砷的比例分别为18.1%—56.5%、28.2%—74.8%、43.4%—80.8%和39.1%—66.7%.盐酸羟胺对砷的提取效果最佳.采用稀盐酸、盐酸羟胺、草酸铵-草酸为提取剂时,可提取砷含量与铁、锰含量具有很好的线性相关性,同时,可提取砷占总砷含量的比例与铁、锰之间也存在显著线性相关性.