Pedological characteristics of Mn mine tailings and metal accumulation by native plants

In southern China revegetation and ecological restoration of many abandoned Mn tailings has become a major concern. To determine the major constraints for plant establishment and evaluate the feasibility of remediation, a comparative study was conducted on Mn tailings and rhizosphere soils at the boundary of the tailings pond. Both tailings and rhizosphere soils had neutral to slightly alkaline pH and normal electrical conductivity. They were both enriched with organic matter (6.8-9.2%), total N (1.77-5.94 g kg(-1)), available P (41.78-73.83 mg kg(-1)) and K (146.7-906.9 mg kg(-1)), suggesting the tailings were a nutrient rich substrate for revegetation. Mn tailings were clay textured, while rhizosphere soils were silty loam or clay loam. The compaction and anoxic nature of Mn tailings were considered to be the major constraints for plant establishment. Total Mn (31903 mg kg(-1)), Cd (119 mg kg(-1)), Cu (126 mg kg(-1)) and Zn (2490 mg kg(-1)) in tailings were all at phytotoxic levels, but did not differ significantly from those in rhizosphere soils. In both tailings and rhizosphere soils, percentages of water- and DTPA-extractable metals were less than 1% and 2% of the total metal pools, respectively. Sequential extraction revealed that the majority of Mn, Cu and Zn were associated with the residual fraction, while the majority of Cd occurred as Fe-Mn oxides. The natural succession of plants around Mn tailings formed a distinctive metal-tolerant plant community, mainly comprising nine species such as Cynodon dactylon and Humulus scandens and so on. All species studied could be good candidates for revegetation of Mn tailings.     

Uptake and accumulation of arsenic by 11 Pteris taxa from southern China

A field survey was conducted at a deserted arsenic (As) mine in Guangxi Province, China to explore new potential As hyperaccumulators. In addition, young plants of 11 Pteris taxa were grown in glasshouse conditions for 12 weeks on As-amended soils with 0, 50 and 200 mg As kg(-1). Results of the field survey showed that the fern Pteris fauriei accumulated over 1000 mg As kg(-1) in its fronds. Of the 11 Pteris taxa, Pteris aspericaulis, Pteris cretica var. nervosa, P. fauriei, Pteris multifida, P. multifida f. serrulata, and Pteris oshimensis were all found to hyperaccumulate As in addition to P. cretica 'Albo-Lineata' and Pteris vittata (already reported as As hyperaccumulators). However, Pteris ensiformis, Pteris semipinnata and Pteris setuloso-costulata showed no evidence of As hyperaccumulation. Results also revealed a constitutive property of As hyperaccumulation in different populations of P. cretica var. nervosa, P. multifida, P. oshimensis and P. vittata.     

Uptake of radionuclides by plants after the Chernobyl accident

Gamma-radioactivity of a wide variety of plant samples was measured. Measurements showed that radioactivity in plants depended on the area of surface exposed, the developmental season of the plants, and on the external morphology of their above-ground parts. Autoradiographs on several plants showed the presence of radioactivity in certain spots (hot spots) which were distributed randomly on the surface of the plants and differed in size and activity.     

Growth and metal accumulation in vetiver and two Sesbania species on lead/zinc mine tailings

The lead (Pb)/zinc (Zn) tailings contained high concentrations of heavy metals (total Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations 4164, 4377, 35 and 32 mg kg(-1), respectively), and low contents of major nutrient elements (N, P, and K) and organic matter. A field trial was conducted to compare growth performance, metal accumulation of Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) and two legume species (Sesbania rostrata and Sesbania sesban) grown on the tailings amended with domestic refuse and/or fertilizer. It was revealed that domestic refuse alone and the combination of domestic refuse and artificial fertilizer significantly improved the survival rates and growth of V. zizanioides and two Sesbania species, especially the combination. However, artificial fertilizer alone did not improve both the survival rate and growth performance of the plants grown on tailings. Roots of these species accumulated similar levels of heavy metals, but the shoots of two Sesbania species accumulated higher (3-4 folds) concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd than shoots of V. zizanioides. Most of the heavy metals in V. zizanioides were accumulated in roots, and the translocation of metals from roots to shoots was restricted. Intercropping of V. zizanioides and S. rostrata did not show any beneficial effect on individual plant species, in terms of height, biomass, survival rate, and metal accumulation, possibly due to the rather short experimental period of 5 months.     

The accumulation by plants of emissions from a coal-fired power plant

Foliar concentrations of Ca, Cl, F, Mg, Mn, P, S and Zn were measured in Eucalyptus crebra and E. moluccana growing at distances up to 28 km from a 2000 MW coal-fired power plant. The results showed that concentrations of F, Mn and Zn in leaves of E. moluccana were negatively correlated with distance from the emission source (P < 0.01), the foliar concentration of Zn was positively correlated with F and Mn concentrations (P < 0.01) and that S concentration was positively correlated with P and Cl concentrations (P < 0.01). In contrast, no elements in E. crebra leaves were correlated with distance from the power plant but significant positive correlations were found between Mg and F and between S and Ca concentrations. Concentrations of Mn in both species and F in E. crebra exceeded those measured in Eucalyptus species growing in areas of Australia remote from industrial emissions, but no symptoms of air pollution-induced injury were found. All other foliar element concentrations were comparable with background concentrations in Eucalyptus species in Australia.     

Uptake and accumulation of cadmium, lead and zinc by Siam weed [Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robinson

The Siam weed, Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robinson, Family Asteraceae, was found to be a new Pb hyperaccumulator by means of field surveys on Pb soil and hydroponic studies. Plants from field collection accumulated 1377 and 4236mgkg(-1) Pb in their shoots and roots, respectively, and could tolerate soil Pb concentrations up to 100000 mgkg(-1) with a translocation factor of 7.62. Very low concentrations of Cd and Zn were found in plants collected from the field. Under nutrient solution culture condition, C. odorata from the contaminated site (CS) and from non-contaminated site (NCS) grew normally with all three metals (Pb, Cd, Zn) supplied. However, the relative growth rates of all treated plants decreased with increased metal concentrations. The percentage uptakes of Pb, Cd, and Zn by C. odorata increased with increasing metal concentrations. Pb concentration in shoots and roots reached its highest values (1772.3 and 60655.7mgkg(-1), respectively) at a Pb supply level of 10mgl(-1). While the maximum concentrations of Cd (0.5mgl(-1)) in shoots and roots of C. odorata were 102.3 and 1440.9mgkg(-1), and the highest concentrations of Zn (20mgl(-1)) were 1876.0 and 7011.8mgkg(-1), respectively. The bioaccumulation coefficients of Pb and Cd were greater than 1000. These results confirm that C. odorata is a hyperaccumulator which grows rapidly, has substantial biomass, wide distribution and has a potential for the phytoremediation of metal contaminated soils.     

Uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by maize plants

Roots and above-ground parts (tops) of maize plants, comprising cuticles, leaves and stems, have been exposed separately to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by means of air-tight bicameral exposure devices. Maize roots and tops of plants directly accumulate PAHs from aqueous solutions and from air in proportion to exposure levels. Root and leaf concentration factors (log RCF and log LCF) are log-linear functions of log-based octanol-water partition coefficient (log Kow) and log-based octanol-air partition coefficient (log Koa). The PAHs' concentrations among cuticles, leaves and stems display good correlations with each other. PAH concentrations in each part of the plant tested correlated positively with atmospheric PAHs' concentrations. Comparisons between PAHs' concentrations of root epidermis and root tissue showed similar correlations. Bulk concentrations of contaminants in various plant tissues differed greatly, but these differences disappeared after normalization to lipid contents suggesting lipid-based partitioning of PAHs among maize tissues.     

Uptake of nitroaromatic compounds in plants

The uptake of nitroaromatic compounds by plants from the soil was studied at an ammunition site. After the development of analytical methods for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, aminodinitrotoluenes and dinitrotoluenes in plant material, we could show that these substances accumulated in the roots of plants and are found to a lesser extent inleaves and stems. We observed only moderate differences between various plant species. It is likely that a metabolic transformation in plants leads to the formation of dinitrotoluenes which are considered to be potent carcinogens. Results from soils with a wide range of explosive concentrations show a good correlation between the plant and soil concentrations. The relative accumulation in plant material is higher at lower soil concentrations. At low soil concentrations of about 1 mg trinitrotoluene/kg soil, an accumulation factor of about 0.5 can be derived. These data are an important input for the risk assessment of ammunition sites.     

Uptake and accumulation of mercury from dental amalgam in the common goldfish,Carassius auratus

In this study, the bioavailability and accumulation of mercury from external environmental exposure to mixed, cured, milled, sieved and proportioned dental amalgam was examined in the common goldfish, Carassius auratus. Fish were exposed to dental amalgam (particle size range from < 0.10 to 3.15 mm) in order to represent the particle size and distribution of that found within the typical dental office wastewater discharge stream. Experimental amalgam water loadings were 0 g/l, 0.5 g/l and 1 g/l in glass aquaria at 15 degrees C for 28 days. Fish tissues were sampled at 5 min and 28 days of exposure, and the liver, brain, muscle and whole body analyzed for total mercury using cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy. Mercury was found in several tissues examined and generally increased with exposure to higher amounts of dental amalgam. The highest levels were found in the whole body (17.68 +/- 5.73 microg/g) followed by the liver (0.80 +/- 0.16 microg/g) and muscle (0.47 +/- 0.16 microg/g). The lowest concentrations were seen in the brain (0.28 +/- 0.19 microg/g). Compared to controls, concentrations in the whole body, muscle and liver in fish exposed for 28 days to the highest concentration of amalgam were 200-, 233-, and 40-fold higher, respectively. This study shows that mercury from an environmental exposure to representative samples of dental amalgam typically found within the dental wastewater discharge stream is bioavailable to fish and may accumulate in internal tissues.     

Uptake of lead near roads in Egypt

A determination of the atmospheric lead concentration on different plants in various locations in Egypt was carried out using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The lead deposits ranged from 1.35 ppm to 18.60 ppm. There was a positive correlation between lead content and the intensity of lead pollution.     

Mercury uptake and accumulation by four species of aquatic plants

The effectiveness of four aquatic plants including water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), zebra rush (Scirpus tabernaemontani) and taro (Colocasia esculenta) were evaluated for their capabilities in removing mercury from water. The plants were exposed to concentrations of 0 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L or 2 mg/L of mercury for 30 days. Assays were conducted using both Microtox (water) and cold vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) (roots and water). The Microtox results indicated that the mercury induced acute toxicity had been removed from the water. AAS confirmed an increase of mercury within the plant root tissue and a corresponding decrease of mercury in the water. All species of plants appeared to reduce mercury concentrations in the water via root uptake and accumulation. Water lettuce and water hyacinth appeared to be the most effective, followed by taro and zebra rush, respectively.     

Uptake and localisation of lead in the root system of Brassica juncea

The uptake and distribution of Pb sequestered by hydroponically grown (14days growth) Brassica juncea (3days exposure; Pb activities 3.2, 32 and 217microM) was investigated. Lead uptake was restricted largely to root tissue. Examination using scanning transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed substantial and predominantly intracellular uptake at the root tip. Endocytosis of Pb at the plasma membrane was not observed. A membrane transport protein may therefore be involved. In contrast, endocytosis of Pb into a subset of vacuoles was observed, resulting in the formation of dense Pb aggregates. Sparse and predominantly extracellular uptake occurred at some distance from the root tip. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that the Pb concentration was greater in root tips. Heavy metal rhizofiltration using B. juncea might therefore be improved by breeding plants with profusely branching roots. Uptake enhancement using genetic engineering techniques would benefit from investigation of plasma membrane transport mechanisms.     

Uptake and metabolism of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in higher plants

The fate of the explosive 2,4,6-TNT in plants is of major interest. Therefore, a method was developed to analyse TNT and derivatives in plant tissue. The method was utilized to investigate the uptake and metabolism of TNT inMedicago sativa andAllium schoenoprasum grown in hydroponic cultures containing TNT levels of 0.1 to 10 mg/1. Detectable concentrations of nitrotoluenes were significantly higher inAllium schoenoprasum than inMedicago sativa. The uptake of TNT in plants was directly related to the initial TNT level. The principal nitroaromatic components in roots and shoots of both plant species were identified as 4-ADNT and 2-ADNT in equal amounts, with substantially less TNT.     

锑矿区土壤重金属污染及优势植物对重金属的富集特征

通过野外调查采样,分析了冷水江锑矿区4个采样点土壤和优势植物中重金属含量,以及矿区生长的5种优势植物对Sb、As、Cd、Pb、Cu和Zn的的吸收与富集能力及其富集特性。结果表明,矿区土壤中6种重金属元素的平均含量均超出湖南省土壤背景值和全国土壤背景值,土壤受Sb污染最严重,其次是Cd、As的污染。5种优势植物淡竹叶、苎麻、芒草、狗尾草和白背叶体内Sb、As的含量都超过正常范围,具有修复矿区土壤Sb、As污染的潜力。其中苎麻对Sb的富集系数和转运系数均大于1,满足Sb超富集植物的基本特征,可作为生态恢复的先锋植物;芒草对Cd的富集系数和转运系数都大于1,对重金属有较强的耐性,作为重金属污染的修复植物具有较好的应用前景。     

Uptake of chromate in sulfate deprived wheat plants

Terrestrial plants have been proposed for the removal of chromate from waste waters. Since chromate seems to be absorbed in roots by the same transport system as sulfate, sulfate-deprivation pretreatment and sulfate absence during chromate uptake were tested in wheat in order to increase chromium uptake efficiency. At 1 and 5 microg CrO(2-)(4) ml(-1) the highest chromate uptake was observed when plants suffered 5 days of sulfate deprivation pretreatment and absence of sulfate during chromate uptake. However, only at the lower concentration chromate net uptake was rapidly replaced by net efflux presumably due to toxic effects. At 5 microg CrO(2-)(4) ml(-1), the uptake of chromate was also enhanced by sulfate-deprivation pretreatment alone or lack of sulfate-competition. We conclude that sulfate is a strong inhibitor of chromate uptake, and when plants are going to be used to remove chromate from waste waters, sulfate-chromate interaction should be considered.     

6种湿地植物吸收污水中氮和磷的动力学

为研究不同湿地植物对污染水体中氮、磷的去除效果,采用改进耗竭法研究水竹、金花菜、空心菜、雪里红、芋头和韭菜等6种湿地经济植物对溶解性总磷（TSP）、硝态氮（NO3--N）及铵态氮（NH4+-N）的吸收动力学特征。目的是在对污染水体进行修复时,可以根据不同的污染程度选择相应的经济作物。结果表明：空心菜适应任何TSP、NO3--N及NH4+-N浓度的污水,水竹则适应TSP、NO3--N及NH4+-N浓度较低的污染水体;韭菜与金花菜对TSP、NH4+-N浓度较高的污染水体有较大吸收效率,而雪里红则适合浓度较低的水体;对于含NO3--N水体,韭菜与雪里红具有较大吸收速率,适宜高NO3--N水平的养分条件,金花菜具有较大亲和力,适宜于NO3--N浓度低的污染水体;芋头的最大吸收速率最小而亲和力最大,不适宜作为湿地植物修复污染水体。6种湿地植物都具有喜铵性,对NH4+-N有更好的吸收效果。     

Zn, Cd and Pb accumulation and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation of pennycress Thlaspi praecox Wulf. (Brassicaceae) from the vicinity of a lead mine and smelter in Slovenia

Significant hyperaccumulation of Zn, Cd and Pb in field samples of Thlaspi praecox Wulf. collected from a heavy metal polluted area in Slovenia was found, with maximal shoot concentrations of 14,590 mg kg(-1) Zn, 5960 mg kg(-1) Cd and 3500 mg kg(-1) Pb. Shoot/root ratios of 9.6 for Zn and 5.6 for Cd show that the metals were preferentially transported to the shoots. Shoot bioaccumulation factors exceeded total soil Cd levels 75-fold and total soil Zn levels 20-fold, further supporting the hyperaccumulation of Cd and Zn. Eighty percent of Pb was retained in roots, thus indicating exclusion as a tolerance strategy for Pb. Low level colonisation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of a Paris type was observed at the polluted site, whereas at the non-polluted site Arum type colonisation was more common. To our knowledge this is the first report of Cd hyperaccumulation and AMF colonisation in metal hyperaccumulating T. praecox.     

Accumulation of arsenic, lead, copper, and zinc, and synthesis of phytochelatins by indigenous plants of a mining impacted area

Several native plants, able to grow in an unconfined mining impacted area that is now in close vicinity with urban areas, were evaluated for their ability to accumulate heavy metals. The main soil contaminants were As, Pb, Cu, and Zn. Sampling of the rhizospheric metal polluted soil showed that Euphorbia prostrata Aiton, Parthenium incanum Kunth, and Zinnia acerosa (DC.) A. Gray were able to grow in the presence of high amounts of mixtures of these elements. The plants accumulated the metals in the above ground parts and increased the synthesis of thiol molecules. E. prostrata showed the highest capacity for accumulation of the mixture of elements (588 μg g DW^?1). Analysis of the thiol-molecules profile showed that these plants synthesized high amounts of long-chain phytochelatins, accompanied by low amounts of monothiol molecules, which may be related to their higher resistance to As and heavy metals. The three plants showed translocation factors from roots to leaves >1 for As, Pb, Cu, and Zn. Thus, by periodically removing aerial parts, these plants could be useful for the phytoremediation of semi-arid and arid mining impacted areas, in which metal hyper-accumulator plants are not able to grow.     

不同湿地植物凋落物对汞铊矿废弃物浸出酸性废水中重金属的吸附研究

研究了不同湿地植物(稻草(Oryza sativa L.)、风车草(Cyperus involucratus Rottb.)、芦竹(Arundo donax L.)、美人蕉(Canna indica L.)、水葱(Scirpus validus Vahl.)、香蒲(Typha orientalis C.Presl)和鸢...