Exogenously applied calcium alleviates cadmium toxicity in Matricaria chamomilla L. plants

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants leads to serious disturbances of physiological processes, such as inhibition of chlorophyll synthesis, oxidative injury to the plant cells and water and nutrient uptake. Response of Matricaria chamomilla L. to calcium chloride (CaCl₂) enrichment in growth medium for reducing Cd toxicity were studied in this study. Hydroponically cultured seedlings were treated with 0, 0.1, 1, and 5 mM CaCl₂, under 0, 120, and 180 μM CdCl₂ conditions, respectively. The study included measurements pertaining to physiological attributes such as growth parameters, Cd concentration and translocation, oxidative stress, and accumulation of phenolics. Addition of CaCl₂ to growth media decreased the Cd concentration, activity of antioxidant enzymes, and reactive oxygen species accumulation in the plants treated with different CdCl₂, but increased the growth parameters. Malondialdehyde and total phenolics in shoots and roots were not much affected when plants were treated only with different CaCl₂ levels, but it showed a rapid increase when the plants were exposed to 120 and 180 CdCl₂ levels. CaCl₂ amendment also ameliorated the CdCl₂-induced stress by reducing oxidative injury. The beneficial effects of CaCl₂ in ameliorating CdCl₂ toxicity can be attributed to the Ca-induced reduction of Cd concentration, by reducing the cell-surface negativity and competing for Cd²⁺ ion influx, activity enhancement of antioxidant enzymes, and biomass accumulation.     

Cadmium uptake and translocation in tumbleweed (Salsola kali), a potential Cd-hyperaccumulator desert plant species: ICP/OES and XAS studies

Cadmium is a heavy metal, which, even at low concentrations, can be highly toxic to the growth and development of both plants and animals. Plant species vary extensively in their tolerance to excess cadmium in a growth medium and very few cadmium-tolerant species have been identified. In this study, tumbleweed plants (Salsola kali) grown in an agar-based medium with 20 mgl(-1) of Cd(II) did not show phytotoxicity, and their roots had the most biomass (4.5 mg) (P < 0.05) compared to the control plants (2.7 mg) as well as other treated plants. These plants accumulated 2696, 2075, and 2016 mg Cd kg(-1) of dry roots, stems, and leaves, respectively. The results suggest that there is no restricted cadmium movement in tumbleweed plants. In addition, the amount of Cd found in the dry leaf tissue suggests that tumbleweed could be considered as potential cadmium hyperaccumulating species. X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies demonstrated that in roots, cadmium was bound to oxygen while in stems and leaves, the metal was attached to oxygen and sulfur groups. This might imply that some small organic acids are responsible for Cd transport from roots to stems and leaves. In addition, it might be possible that the plant synthesizes phytochelatins in the stems, later coordinating the absorbed cadmium for transport and storage in cell structures. Thus, it is possible that in the leaves, Cd either exists as a Cd-phytochelatin complex or bound to cell wall structures. Current studies are being performed in order to elucidate the proposed hypothesis.     

Differential Cadmium Accumulation and Phytotoxicity in Sixteen Tobacco Cultivars

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the effect of plant genotype on cadmium accumulation and phytotoxicity in tobacco. When low levels of CdCl₂ (0.25 or 1.0 ppm) were added to the nutrient solution of 16 tobacco cultivars growing In sand culture, the heavy metal was partitioned in the following order: leaves > roots > stems. Because leaves are the commercial product, this pattern of partitioning Is highly undesirable. The concentration of Cd accumulated in the tissues varied with plant genotype and level of Cd treatment. At the 0.25 ppm Cd treatment, a maximum of 127.6 ppm Cd was found in foliage of the Coker-48 variety, and at the 1.0 ppm Cd treatment, a maximum of 382.6 ppm Cd was detected in the foliage of ’NC-232.’ None of the Cd-treated tobacco plants exhibited visual foliar symptoms commonly observed in other plant species. A concentration of 0.25 ppm Cd stimulated shoot height, Internode length and leaf number but inhibited total dry weight and percent dry weight. Cd phytotoxicity was found to vary with plant genotype and level of Cd treatment but not with the amount of Cd accumulated by the plant.     

Effects of sewage sludge amendment on heavy metal accumulation and consequent responses of Beta vulgaris plants

Use of sewage sludge, a biological residue produced from sewage treatment processes in agriculture is an alternative disposal technique of waste. To study the usefulness of sewage sludge amendment for palak (Beta vulgaris var. Allgreen H-1), a leafy vegetable and consequent heavy metal contamination, a pot experiment was conducted by mixing sewage sludge at 20% and 40% (w/w) amendment ratios to the agricultural soil. Soil pH decreased whereas electrical conductance, organic carbon, total N, available P and exchangeable Na, K and Ca increased in soil amended with sewage sludge in comparison to unamended soil. Sewage sludge amendment led to significant increase in Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn and Ni concentrations of soil. Cd concentration in soil was found above the Indian permissible limit in soil at both the amendment ratios.

The increased concentration of heavy metals in soil due to sewage sludge amendment led to increases in heavy metal uptake and shoot and root concentrations of Ni, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn in plants as compared to those grown on unamended soil. Accumulation was more in roots than shoots for most of the heavy metals. Concentrations of Cd, Ni and Zn were more than the permissible limits of Indian standard in the edible portion of palak grown on different sewage sludge amendments ratios. Sewage sludge amendment in soil decreased root length, leaf area and root biomass of palak at both the amendment ratios, whereas shoot biomass and yield decreased significantly at 40% sludge amendment. Rate of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content decreased whereas lipid peroxidation, peroxidase activity and protein and proline contents, increased in plants grown in sewage sludge-amended soil as compared to those grown in unamended soil.

The study clearly shows that increase in heavy metal concentration in foliage of plants grown in sewage sludge-amended soil caused unfavorable changes in physiological and biochemical characteristics of plants leading to reductions in morphological characteristics, biomass accumulation and yield. The study concludes that sewage sludge amendment in soil for growing palak may not be a good option due to risk of contamination of Cd, Ni and Zn and also due to lowering of yield at higher mixing ratio.     

Translocation of metals and its effects in the tomato plants grown on various amendments of tannery waste: evidence for involvement of antioxidants

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different amendments of tannery sludge on physiological and biochemical parameters of tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum L. Mill). The accumulation of metals (Cr, Fe) in different parts of tomato plants grown on tannery sludge amended soil increased in a concentration and duration-dependent manner. The accumulation of both the metals was found lowest in the fruits of the plant. The statistical analysis of the results showed an increase in chlorophyll and protein contents in lower sludge amendment ratio at all exposures followed by a decrease at highest (100%) sludge amendment ratio. Lipid peroxidation enhanced in both root and leaves of sludge grown plants of tomato at all the sludge amendments and exposure periods, which is evidenced by increased malondialdehyde content, however the maximum increase was found in the roots (43.63%) and leaves (56.66%) of the plant grown on 100% tannery sludge at 60 d, over respective controls. The level of antioxidants, cysteine, non-protein thiol and ascorbic acid increased in the sludge grown plants of tomato to cope up with stress induced by the excess amount of the heavy metals present in the tannery sludge. The maximum increase was found in cysteine content (75.53% in the leaves), non-protein thiol content (92.68% in the roots) and ascorbic acid content (29.66% in the roots) of the plant at 75% tannery sludge after 30 d. The tomato plants were found well adopted for minimizing damage induced by reactive oxygen species, when grown on tannery sludge amendments in the present study.     

镉胁迫对向日葵幼苗生长和生理特性的影响

采用溶液培养方法,研究了不同浓度镉(0、0.05、0.1、0.5和1 mg/L)处理7 d对向日葵幼苗生长和生理特性的影响。结果表明：随着镉处理浓度的增加,向日葵幼苗对镉的吸收显著增加。1 mg/L镉浓度处理时,叶、茎和根中镉浓度分别为0.05 mg/L镉处理时的16.3、19.2和581倍;根中积累的镉含量明显高于叶和茎, 各浓度根部积累的镉分别为叶和茎的37.8～63倍和29.4～41倍。镉胁迫显著抑制向日葵幼苗生长和叶绿素合成,当镉浓度达1 mg/L时,整株植物生物量和总叶绿素含量分别为对照的55.9%和52.6%。镉胁迫下向日葵幼苗游离脯氨酸和丙二醛（MDA）含量显著增加,1 mg/L镉浓度时,根中含量分别为对照的4和5.8倍。向日葵幼苗可溶性蛋白含量和过氧化物酶(POD)活性变化与镉胁迫浓度呈明显的倒U字型关系,可溶性蛋白含量在0.05 mg/L镉浓度时达到最大值,叶、茎、根中的POD活性分别在0.1、0.1和0.05 mg/L镉浓度时达到最大值。     

Characteristics of cadmium tolerance in 'Hermes' flax seedlings: contribution of cell walls

Most flax (Linum usitatissimum) varieties are described as tolerant to high concentrations of Cd. The aim of the present paper was to better characterize this tolerance, by studying the responses of flax plantlets, cv Hermes, to 18d growth on 0.5mM Cd. In Cd-treated seedlings, the majority of Cd was compartmentalized in the roots. Analysis of other elements showed that only Fe concentration was reduced, while Mn increased. Growth parameters of Cd treated flax were only moderately altered, with similar mass tolerance-indices for roots and shoots. Tissue anatomy was unaffected by treatment. The effect on lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and antioxidative activities appeared low but slightly higher in roots. The most important impacts of Cd were, in all organs, cell expansion, cell-wall thickening, pectin cross-linking and increase of cell-wall enzymatic activities (pectin methylesterase and peroxidase). Thus, the role of the cell wall in Cd tolerance might be important at two levels: (i) in the reinforcement of the tissue cohesion and (ii) in the sequestration of Cd.     

钝化剂在烟草植物修复铅镉污染土壤中的作用

重金属钝化剂可以改变土壤中重金属的形态,降低其在土壤中的有效浓度、植物毒性及生物有效性,影响污染土壤中植物的生长及其对重金属的吸收。在温室盆栽条件下研究了施加羟基磷灰石（HA）、纳米羟基磷灰石（nHA）、纳米零价铁（nFe0）和纳米TiO2（nTiO2）对烟草植物修复铅镉污染土壤的作用。结果表明,HA降低土壤中Ph、cd的有效性、促进烟草生长、增加了烟草叶、茎、根中cd的吸收量和根系中Pb的吸收量,有利于Ph、cd的钝化和植物修复。nHA也可以降低土壤中Pb、cd的有效性,增加了烟草叶中cd的吸收量,有利于Pb、cd的钝化和cd的植物提取。nFe0和nTiO2：对于土壤Pb和cd的钝化作用和植物修复均没有显著影响。综合来看,HA最适合应用于烟草植物修复铅镉污染土壤。     

Improved phytoaccumulation of cadmium by genetically modified tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Physiological and biochemical response of the transformants to cadmium toxicity

The response of tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.)--non-transformed and transformed with a metallothionein gene MThis from Silene vulgaris L.--to increase cadmium supply in the nutrient solution was compared. The transgenic plants accumulated significantly more Cd both in the roots and the leaves. Visual toxicity symptoms and disturbance in water balance were correlated with Cd tissue content. Treatment with 300 microM CdCl(2) resulted in inhibition of photosynthesis and mobilization of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle. Treatment with 500 microM CdCl(2) led to irreversible damage of photosynthesis and oxidative stress. An appearance of a new peroxidase isoform and changes in the leaf polypeptide pattern were observed at the highest Cd concentration. The level of non-protein thiols gradually increased following the Cd treatment both in transgenic and non-transformed plants.     

Response of antioxidants in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) grown on different amendments of tannery sludge: its metal accumulation potential

The interaction of metals present in tannery waste and their tolerance in the plants of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was studied in the present paper under field conditions. Effects of 100% tannery sludge and various amendments of tannery sludge (10%, 25%, 35%, 50%, 75%) along with one set of control were studied on the physiological and biochemical parameters of the plant along with their metal accumulation potential after 30, 60 and 90 d after sowing. The plants of H. annuus were found effective in the accumulation of metals (Cr, Fe, Zn and Mn) in roots, shoots and leaves, however, the level of toxic metal, Cr was found below detection limit in the seeds of the plant. The oil was extracted from the seeds of the plant and the level of oil content was increased up to 35% tannery sludge as compared to control followed by decrease at higher tannery sludge ratio. An increase in the chlorophyll, protein, cysteine, non-protein thiol and sugar contents was observed at the lower amendment of tannery sludge at initial exposure periods followed by decrease than their respective controls. Malondialdehyde content in the roots and leaves was increased beyond 50% sludge amendments at all the exposure periods as compared to control. However, proline and ascorbic acid contents of the roots and leaves of the plant increased at all the exposure periods and sludge amendments, compared to their respective controls.     

Fate of cadmium in Elodea canadensis

Elodea canadensis is a submersed macrophytes, widely distributed in stormwater treatment ponds and able to remove heavy metals from water. This study examines the Cd uptake, translocation, and efflux patterns in Elodea. Several experiments were set up in a climate chamber. To study the root and shoot Cd uptake, living and dead roots and shoots were treated with (109)Cd in one- and two-compartment systems. Furthermore, to examine Cd translocation and distribution, either roots or shoots were treated with (109)Cd. Finally, the efflux of Cd from roots and shoots, respectively, to the external solution was studied after loading whole plants with (109)Cd. Results from the two compartment studies show that Cd is accumulated via direct uptake by both roots and shoots of Elodea. The Cd accumulation proved not to be metabolically dependent in Elodea, and the apoplastic uptake in particular was decreased by Cd pretreatment. In one week, up to 23% of the root uptake was translocated to the shoots, while about 2% of the Cd accumulated by shoots was translocated to the roots. Thus, slight dispersion of Cd is possible, while metal immobilization will not be directly mediated via the Elodea plant. The efflux experiment proved that both shoots of dead plants and roots of living plants had a faster efflux than did shoots of living plants. This information is relevant for an understanding of the fate of Cd in stormwater treatment ponds with Elodea.     

Cadmium-induced DNA damage and mutations in Arabidopsis plantlet shoots identified by DNA fingerprinting

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) test is a feasible method to evaluate the toxicity of environmental pollutants on vegetal organisms. Herein, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) plantlets following Cadmium (Cd) treatment for 26 d were screened for DNA genetic alterations by DNA fingerprinting. Four primers amplified 20-23 mutated RAPD fragments in 0.125-3.0 mg L⁻¹ Cd-treated Arabidopsis plantlets, respectively. Cloning and sequencing analysis of eight randomly selected mutated fragments revealed 99-100% homology with the genes of VARICOSE-Related, SLEEPY1 F-box, 40S ribosomal protein S3, phosphoglucomutase, and noncoding regions in Arabidopsis genome correspondingly. The results show the ability of RAPD analysis to detect significant genetic alterations in Cd-exposed seedlings. Although the exact functional importance of the other mutated bands is unknown, the presence of mutated loci in Cd-treated seedlings, prior to the onset of significant physiological effects, suggests that these altered loci are the early events in Cd-treated Arabidopsis seedlings and would greatly improve environmental risk assessment.     

Short-term effects of compost amendment on the fractionation of cadmium in soil and cadmium accumulation in rice plants

Purpose

We used a sequential extraction to investigate the effects of compost amendment on Cd fractionation in soil during different incubation periods in order to assess Cd stabilization in soil over time.

Methods

Pot experiments using rice plants growing on Cd-spiked soils were carried out to evaluate the influence of compost amendment on plant growth and Cd accumulation by rice. Two agricultural soils (Pinchen and Lukang) of Taiwan were used for the experiments. The relationship between the redistribution of Cd fractions and the reduction of plant Cd concentration due to compost amendment was then investigated.

Results and discussion

Compost amendment in Pinchen soil (lower pH) could transform exchangeable Cd into the Fe- and Mn-oxide-bound forms. With increasing incubation time, exchangeable Cd tended to transform into carbonate- and Fe- and Mn-oxide-bound fractions. In Lukang soil (higher pH), carbonate- and Fe- and Mn-oxide-bonded Cd were the main fractions. Exchangeable Cd was low. Compost amendment transformed the carbonate-bound form into the Fe and Mn oxide form. Pot experiments of rice plants showed that compost amendment enhanced plant growth more in Pinchen soil than in Lukang soil. Compost amendment could significantly reduce Cd accumulation in rice roots in both Pinchen and Lukang soils and restrict internal transport of Cd from the roots to the shoots. Because exchangeable Cd can be transformed into the stronger bonded fractions quickly in Pinchen soil, a reduction of Cd accumulation in rice due to compost amendment of Pinchen soil was significant by 45?days of growth. However, carbonate-bonded fractions in Lukang soil may provide a source of available Cd to rice plants, and exchangeable and carbonate-bonded fractions are transformed into the other fractions slowly. Thus, reduction of Cd accumulation by rice due to compost amendment in Lukang soil was significant by 75?days of growth.

Conclusions

The results of the study suggest that the effectiveness of compost amendment used for stabilization of Cd and to decrease the phytoavailability of Cd for rice plants is different in acidic and alkaline soils. In acidic soil, Cd fractionation redistributes quickly after compost amendment and shows a significant reduction of Cd accumulation by the plant within a few weeks. In alkaline soil, due to the strongly bound fractions of Cd being in greater quantity than the weakly bound ones, a longer period (a few months) to redistribute Cd fractions is needed.     

Drought-tolerant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces pactum</Emphasis> Act12 assist phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated soil by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amaranthus hypochondriacus</Emphasis>: great potential application in arid/semi-arid areas

Microbe-assisted phytoremediation provides an effective approach to clean up heavy metal-contaminated soils. However, severe drought may affect the function of microbes in arid/semi-arid areas. Streptomyces pactum Act12 is a drought-tolerant soil actinomycete strain isolated from an extreme environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. In this study, pot experiments were conducted to assess the effect of Act12 on Cd tolerance, uptake, and accumulation in amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) under water deficit. Inoculated plants had higher Cd concentrations (root 8.7–33.9 %; shoot 53.2–102.1 %) and uptake (root 19.9–95.3 %; shoot 110.6–170.1 %) than non-inoculated controls in Cd-treated soil. The translocation factor of Cd from roots to shoots was increased by 14.2–75 % in inoculated plants, while the bioconcentration factor of Cd in roots and shoots was increased by 10.2–64.4 and 53.9–114.8 %, respectively. Moreover, inoculation with Act12 increased plant height, root length, and shoot biomass of amaranth in Cd-treated soil compared to non-inoculated controls. Physiochemical analysis revealed that Act12 enhanced Cd tolerance in the plants by increasing glutathione, elevating superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, as well as reducing malondialdehyde content in the leaves. The drought-tolerant actinomycete strain Act12 can enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of amaranth for Cd-contaminated soils under water deficit, exhibiting potential for application in arid and semi-arid areas.     

Influence of cadmium on antioxidant capacity and four microelement concentrations in tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) seedlings were grown in four cadmium (Cd) levels of 0-10 microM in a hydroponic system to analyze the antioxidative enzymes, Cd concentration in the plants, and the interaction between Cd and four microelements. The results showed that there was a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities in the plants subjected to 1-10 microM Cd. This indicates that Cd stress induces an oxidative stress response in tomato plants, characterized by an accumulation of MDA and increase in activities of SOD and POD. Root, stem and leaf Cd concentrations increased with its exposure Cd level, and the highest Cd concentration occurred in roots, followed by leaves and stems. A concentration- and tissue-dependent response was found in the four microelement concentrations to Cd stress in the tomato leaves, stems and roots. Regression analysis showed that there was a significantly negative correlation between Cd and Mn, implying the antagonistic effect of Cd on Mn absorption and translocation. The correlation between Cd and Zn, Cu and Fe were inconsistent among leaves, stems and roots.     

The influence of radical architecture on cadmium bioaccumulation in the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans L

Two groups of Avicennia germinans plants with differences in the radical architecture were exposed under hydroponic conditions to 95ppm of cadmium (Cd) for a period of 24h. Later, Cd concentration in roots, stems and leaves was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Our results showed that, for both groups of plants, the roots accumulated higher concentration of Cd as compared to stems and leaves, though, the plants of group B displayed enhanced radical architecture, better growth performance, and lower Cd concentration as compared to plants of group A. In contrast, low values of leaves/roots Cd transportation index, and bioaccumulation factor were found in plants of group B. These results suggest that the higher radical architecture developed in plants of group B might better adjust the uptake of Cd as a result of an integrated network of multiple response processes for instances, production of organic acids, antioxidative replay, cell-wall lignification and/or suberization. Further studies will be focused in understanding the role of the radical system in mangrove plants with the rhizosphere activation and root adsorption to soil Cd under natural conditions.     

Impact of spiked concentrations of Cd,Pb, As and Zn in growth medium on elemental uptake of Nasturtium officinale (Watercress)

This study is aimed at investigating the impact of water quality on the uptake and distribution of three non-essential and toxic elements, namely, As, Cd and Pb in the watercress plant to assess for metal toxicity. The plant was hydroponically cultivated under greenhouse conditions, with the growth medium being spiked with varying concentrations of As, Cd and Pb. Plants that were harvested weekly for elemental analysis showed physiological and morphological symptoms of toxicity on exposure to high concentrations of Cd and Pb. Plants exposed to high concentrations of As did not survive and the threshold for As uptake in watercress was established at 5 ppm. Translocation factors were low in all cases as the toxic elements accumulated more in the roots of the plant than the edible leaves. The impact of Zn on the uptake of toxic elements was also evaluated and Zn was found to have an antagonistic effect on uptake of both Cd and Pb with no notable effect on uptake of As. The findings indicate that phytotoxicity or death of the watercress plant would prevent it from being a route of human exposure to high concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in the environment.     

Potential contribution of arbuscular mycorrhiza to cadmium immobilisation in soil

The contribution of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) to immobilisation of Cd in substrate was studied in two experiments. In the first experiment, substrates prepared by cultivating tobacco, either non-mycorrhizal or inoculated with the AM fungus Glomus intraradices were enriched with a range of Cd concentrations, and Cd toxicity in the substrates was assessed using root growth tests with lettuce as a test plant. The tests revealed lower Cd toxicity in the mycorrhizal than in the non-mycorrhizal substrate, and the difference increased with increasing total Cd concentration in the substrates. In the second experiment, extraradical mycelium (ERM) of G. intraradices exposed in vivo to Cd was collected and analysed on Cd concentration. The ERM accumulated 10–20 times more Cd per unit of biomass than tobacco roots. While Cd concentrations were lower in the biomass of mycorrhizal plants than of non-mycorrhizal plants, Cd immobilisation by ERM did not affect the total Cd content in mycorrhizal tobacco.

It is concluded that mycorrhiza may decrease Cd toxicity to plants by enhancing Cd immobilisation in soil. The results therefore suggest a potential role of AM symbiosis in the phytostabilisation of contaminated soils, where high Cd availability inhibits plant growth.     

The role of bacteria in the heavy metals removal and growth of Sedum alfredii Hance in an aqueous medium

This study was the first attempt to examine the possible role of the naturally occurring rhizospheric bacteria in heavy metal removal by Sedum alfredii Hance, a terrestrial Zn/Cd hyperaccumuluator, from Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb contaminated water using antibiotic ampicillin. Moreover, the toxicity symptom in plants under heavy metal stress expressed as total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and b content, growth inhibition, root length, and N, P contents were studied, and the possible relationship among them were also discussed. These results indicate that rhizospheric bacteria may play an important role in the uptake of N and P by S. alfredii, and consequently result in the increase of Chlorophyll content in the leaves and plant biomass due to improved photosynthesis. At the same time, root length significantly decreased under the treatment with ampicillin, which suggested that rhizospheric bacteria appeared to protect the roots against heavy metal toxicity. The Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations in the roots, stems and leaves of S. alfredii were much higher than those exposed to ampicillin. Accordingly, metal concentrations in the contaminated water without ampicillin treatment were lower than those treated with ampicillin. These results suggest that the rhizospheric bacteria may be useful in plant tolerance to heavy metal toxicity, and also accelerate the metal removal from contaminated water.     

Contrasting behaviour of cadmium and zinc in a soil-plant-arthropod system

This study investigates the transfer of Cd and Zn from a soil amended with sewage sludge at rates up to 100 t ha(-1) through a multi-trophic system consisting of barley, the aphid Sitobion avenae and the larvae of the lacewing Chrysoperla carnae. Results show marked differences in the transfer of the two metals. Cadmium was freely accumulated in barley roots, but accumulation in the shoot was restricted to a concentration of around 0.22 mg kg(-1) (dry weight). This limited the transfer of Cd to higher trophic levels and resulted in no significant accumulation of Cd in S. avenae or in C. carnae. Zinc transfer in the system was largely unrestricted, resulting in significant accumulation in roots and shoots, in S. avenae and in C. carnae. Cadmium biomagnification occurred in lacewing pupae, with concentrations up to 3.6 times greater than in aphids. S. avenae biomagnified Zn by a factor of ca. 2.5 at low sludge amendment rates, but biomagnification decreased to a factor of 1.4 at the highest amendment rate. Biomagnification of Zn did not occur in C. carnae, but concentrations were up to 3.5 time higher than in soil. Results are discussed in light of the mechanisms regulating transfer of the two metals in the system.