Application of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria for enhancing bioavailability and phytoextraction of cadmium (Cd) from polluted soil

In this study, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Bacillus megaterium, were used to enhance Cd bioavailability and phytoextractability of Cd from contaminated soils. This strain showed a potential for directly solubilizing phosphorous from soils more than 10 folds greater than the control without inoculation. The results of pot experiments revealed that inoculation with B. megaterium significantly increased the extent of Cd accumulation in Brassica juncea and Abutilon theophrasti by two folds relative to the uninoculated control. The maximum Cd concentrations due to inoculation were 1.6 and 1.8 mg Cd g⁻¹ plant for B. juncea and A. theophrasti after 10 wk, respectively. The total biomass of A. theophrasti was not significantly promoted by the inoculation treatment, yet the total biomass of B. juncea increased from 0.087 to 0.448 g. It is also worth to mention that B. juncea predominantly accumulates Cd in its stems (39%) whereas A. theophrasti accumulates it in its leaves (68%) after 10 wk. The change of the Cd speciation indicated that inoculation of B. megaterium as PSB increased the bioavailabilty of Cd and consequently enhanced its uptake by plants. The present study may provide a new insight for improving phytoremediation using PSB in the Cd-contaminated soils.     

Uranium uptake by hydroponically cultivated crop plants

Hydroponicaly cultivated plants were grown on medium containing uranium. The appropriate concentrations of uranium for the experiments were selected on the basis of a standard ecotoxicity test. The most sensitive plant species was determined to be Lactuca sativa with an EC₅₀ value about 0.1 mM. Cucumis sativa represented the most resistant plant to uranium (EC₅₀ = 0.71 mM). Therefore, we used the uranium in a concentration range from 0.1 to 1 mM.Twenty different plant species were tested in hydroponic solution supplemented by 0.1 mM or 0.5 mM uranium concentration. The uranium accumulation of these plants varied from 0.16 mg/g DW to 0.011 mg/g DW. The highest uranium uptake was determined for Zea mays and the lowest for Arabidopsis thaliana. The amount of accumulated uranium was strongly influenced by uranium concentration in the cultivation medium. Autoradiography showed that uranium is mainly localized in the root system of the plants tested. Additional experiments demonstrated the possibility of influencing the uranium uptake from the cultivation medium by amendments. Tartaric acid was able to increase uranium uptake by Brassica oleracea and Sinapis alba up to 2.8 times or 1.9 times, respectively. Phosphate deficiency increased uranium uptake up to 4.5 times or 3.9 times, respectively, by Brassica oleracea and S. alba. In the case of deficiency of iron or presence of cadmium ions we did not find any increase in uranium accumulation.     

Impact of biogenic terpene emissions from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> on tropospheric ozone over saxony (Germany)

INTRODUCTION: The role of biogenic emissions in tropospheric ozone production is currently under discussion and major aspects are not well understood yet. This study aims towards the estimation of the influence of biogenic emissions on tropospheric ozone concentrations over Saxony in general and of biogenic emissions from brassica napus in special. MODELLING TOOLS: The studies are performed by utilizing a coupled numerical modelling system consisting of the meteorological model METRAS and the chemistry transport model MUSCAT. For the chemical part, the Euro-RADM algorithm is used. EMISSIONS: Anthropogenic and biogenic emissions are taken into account. The anthropogenic emissions are introduced by an emission inventory. Biogenic emissions, VOC and NO, are calculated within the chemical transport model MUSCAT at each time step and in each grid cell depending on land use type and on the temperature. The emissions of hydrocarbons from forest areas as well as biogenic NO especially from agricultural grounds are considered. Also terpene emissions from brassica napus fields are estimated. SIMULATION SETUP AND METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS: The simulations were performed over an area with an extension of 160 x 140 km2 which covers the main parts of Saxony and neighboring areas of Brandenburg, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thuringia. Summer smog with high ozone concentrations can be expected during high pressure conditions on hot summer days. Typical meteorological conditions for such cases were introduced in an conceptual way. RESULTS: It is estimated that biogenic emissions change tropospheric ozone concentrations in a noticeable way (up to 15% to 20%) and, therefore, should not be neglected in studies about tropospheric ozone. Emissions from brassica napus do have a moderate potential to enhance tropospheric ozone concentrations, but emissions are still under consideration and, therefore, results vary to a high degree. CONCLUSIONS: Summing up, the effect of brassica napus terpene emissions on ozone concentrations is noticeable, but not too pronounced. The results give a preliminary estimate on what the effect due to brassica napus emissions could be until better parameterizations can be derived from measurements.     

Local and systemic induced responses to cabbage root fly larvae (Delia radicum) in Brassica nigra and B. oleracea

Summary. Feeding by belowground herbivores may induce systemic changes in shoot defence levels that affect the performance of above ground herbivores and higher trophic levels. In this paper two wild Brassica species, B. nigra and B. oleracea were experimentally infested with 10 larvae of the cabbage root fly, Delia radicum. Plant dry masses and glucosinolate levels in shoots, main roots, and fine roots were determined at 3, 7, 12 and 14 days after infestation and compared to those of control plants. The systemic response in the leaves differed between plant species. In B. nigra shoot glucosinolate levels in D. radicum infested plants steadily increased with time until they were almost twice those of controls 14 days after infestation. B. oleracea plants infested with D. radicum did not show significant changes in shoot glucosinolate levels within 14 days, which may be due to the unexpected poorer performance of D. radicum on this species. Both plant species showed a local increase in indole glucosinolates in the main roots, which are the preferred feeding site of D. radicum larvae. B. oleracea plants however showed a stronger (1.9 – 4.7 times) increase in indole glucosinolate levels than B. nigra (1.5 – 2.6 times). The increase in indole glucosinolates in B. nigra main roots, was counterbalanced by a significant decrease in aromatic glucosinolate levels. These differences in local responses to D. radicum feeding between the two species may have contributed to the slower growth rates of the larvae on B. oleracea. D. radicum feeding did not result in altered glucosinolate levels in the fine roots in either plant species. The differences in glucosinolate induction patterns between the summer annual B. nigra and the perennial B. oleracea are discussed in the light of their different life histories.     

印度芥菜和香根草对Pb污染土壤的修复效能及作用途径

为探究印度芥菜(Brassica juncea)和香根草(Vetiveria zizanioides L.)对Pb污染土壤的修复效能和作用途径,采用Pb污染土壤〔w(Pb)为400~2 000 mg/kg〕进行为期30 d的盆栽试验,分析植物对Pb的耐受性、积累能力和固定效果.结果表明:① 印度芥菜和香根草对Pb的积累主要集中在根部,两种植物根部累积的w(Pb)分别为206.62~902.40和288.42~1 102.47 mg/kg,单株植物的Pb积累量分别为70.75~138.31和99.09~220.49 μg,香根草对Pb污染土壤的修复效能高于印度芥菜. ② 印度芥菜和香根草对Pb的去除率随土壤中w(Pb)的增加而降低,对Pb的固定率则随土壤中w(Pb)的增加而增加,二者对Pb的去除率最大值分别为1.02%和1.78%,对Pb的固定率可达11.22%和16.78%,两种植物对Pb污染土壤修复的主要途径为植物固定. ③ 主成分分析表明,w(脯氨酸)对植物Pb积累过程具有重要作用.研究显示,相比于印度芥菜,香根草更适用于Pb污染土壤的植物修复.      

铯对油菜萌发代谢生物学效应初探

研究了油菜(Brassica napus)的萌发特性及幼苗生长对不同质量浓度(80、160、320、640、960 mg.L-1)氯化铯(CsCl)处理的效应。结果显示:ρ(CsCl)为80～960 mg.L-1时,其对油菜发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数的影响差异不显著,但对油菜幼苗根、芽生长具有低促高抑的双重作用,且根的生长比芽对CsCl更为敏感。随着ρ(CsCl)逐渐增加,油菜幼苗脯氨酸和蛋白质含量增加,脱氢酶(DH)活性和过氧化物酶(POD)活性则明显下降,表明较高ρ(CsCl)处理可能造成油菜幼苗一定程度的胁迫,其脯氨酸含量增加可能主要是由于脯氨酸合成加强所致。     

胶质芽胞杆菌对印度芥菜根际土壤镉含量及土壤酶活性影响

采用根袋法盆栽试验,研究分别接种活菌量浓度为1×1010CFU.kg-1(处理A)和2×1010CFU.kg-1(处理C)的胶质芽胞杆菌,对根际土壤镉含量和土壤酶活性的影响.结果表明,处理A、C对根际土壤镉的去除率分别达到37.62%、38.27%,是对照(24.47%)的1.54、1.56倍.胶质芽胞杆菌处理后土壤酶活性均有所增强,土壤脲酶、磷酸酶、过氧化氢酶活性在根际土壤大于非根际,随着时间延长土壤磷酸酶活性逐渐升高,脲酶和过氧化氢酶呈现先增高后降低的变化趋势,而脱氢酶活性在非根际土壤大于根际土壤,也呈现先增高后降低的变化趋势.对照组及处理A、C组中根际Cd含量与土壤磷酸酶、脲酶呈现显著或极显著负相关.研究表明,施入胶质芽胞杆菌不仅可以提高超富集植物对土壤Cd的净化效果而且对土壤脲酶、磷酸酶、过氧化氢酶及脱氢酶均有一定的积极作用,其结果可为该菌辅助植物修复镉污染土壤的机制性研究提供理论指导.     

基于同位素示踪技术分析小白菜中Pb的来源

为了探明乌鲁木齐市小白菜中Pb的污染来源,采用Pb同位素示踪法,结合盆栽试验种植小白菜,测定了成熟期小白菜不同部位Pb同位素单体计数值及其比值,分析了灌溉水、土壤、降尘对小白菜Pb的贡献率及小白菜Pb的可能来源.结果表明:大气降尘、灌溉水和土壤对小白菜地上部Pb的贡献率分别为51.50%、31.8%、16.7%,大气降尘对小白菜可食用部Pb含量的影响最大;对小白菜根系Pb累积的贡献率分别为2.20%、77.5%、20.30%,灌溉水对小白菜根系Pb含量累积的影响最大.尾气烟灰、燃煤、建筑降尘是导致乌鲁木齐市叶类蔬菜可食用部Pb含量超标的主要原因.     

两种不同镉富集能力油菜品种耐性机制

利用水培试验研究了不同浓度镉(cadmium,Cd)胁迫条件下(0、2和5 mg·L~(-1))两种Cd富集能力油菜品种[秦油1号(QY-1)和三月黄(SYH)]生长状况与Cd富集特征的差异,并从Cd亚细胞区隔化和抗氧化酶活性等角度探索了两种油菜Cd富集能力的差异机制,并通过田间试验进行验证.结果表明,水培条件下,这两种油菜在Cd胁迫下生长均未受到明显的抑制.在低浓度Cd(2 mg·L~(-1))处理下,两种油菜地上部Cd含量无显著差异,在高浓度Cd(5 mg·L~(-1))胁迫下SYH的地上部和根部Cd含量均显著高于QY-1,分别提高32. 05%和99. 57%,同时其根部生物富集系数(BCF)也较QY-1显著提高.对两种油菜叶片中Cd亚细胞区隔化研究结果表明,随着Cd处理浓度的增加,QY-1和SYH叶片中Cd在热稳定蛋白和镉富集颗粒组分的分布分别提高了143. 69%、118. 91%和63. 34%、118. 91%,由此可见将Cd区隔在热稳定蛋白和镉富集颗粒体等重金属解毒组分是油菜在亚细胞水平上的重要解毒机制.同时,高浓度Cd胁迫下SYH叶中Cd在细胞碎屑组分的含量达QY-1的4. 41倍,可知Cd在细胞碎屑组分中的分布是导致两种油菜Cd富集能力差异的重要机制.结合对两种油菜抗氧化酶活性研究结果,发现抗氧化酶系统可能是QY-1应对高浓度Cd胁迫的重要解毒机制,而SYH则更多地通过将Cd区隔在金属低活性的亚细胞组分来减轻其毒性.田间试验结果验证表明,SYH地上部和地下部Cd含量均显著高于QY-1,分别是QY-1的2. 34和1. 43倍.综上所述,SYH具有更高的Cd提取量和富集能力,具有应用于中轻度Cd污染农田修复的潜力.