Assessment of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi status and heavy metal accumulation characteristics of tree species in a lead–zinc mine area: potential applications for phytoremediation

In order to screen out the plants used to repair heavy metal pollution in the soil, five plants and surface soil were collected in the Huize lead-zinc mine area, centered on the hyperaccumulator plant Arabis alpina L. var. parviflora Franch, measured the heavy metal content of in shoot and root of plant and surface soil, and analyzed the characteristics of heavy metal accumulation in plants. The results showed that the soil Cd pollution in the Huize lead-zinc mining area was the most serious; among the five plants, the Cd bioconcentration factor(BCF) and translocation factor(TF) of A. alpina were more than 1, and the TF of Pb was more than 1; the TF of Anaphalis margaritacea, Cyananthus inflatus and Arenaria orbiculata to Cu and Zn were more than 1, the TF of Juncus effusus to Cd and Zn were more than 1. These five plants had good tolerance to heavy metals and were of great significance to the remediation and restoration of heavy metal contaminated soil in lead-zinc mining areas.

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Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) as Buffer for Heavy Metals Phytoextraction by Cucurbita maxima Duch. Grown on Crude Oil Contaminated Soil

Journal of Horticulture and Plant Research ◽

10.18052/www.scipress.com/jhpr.3.1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Okon G. Okon ◽

J.E. Okon ◽

G.D.O. Eneh

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Crude Oil ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Am Fungi ◽

Heavy Metal Accumulation ◽

Cucurbita Maxima

This study evaluated the influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (Rhizophagus irregularis) fungi inoculation (M) on the growth ofCucurbita maximaand as a buffer against phytoextraction of selected heavy metals (HM) (Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd and Pb) from a soil contaminated with crude oil (C). The experiment was set up using four soil treatments, each with three replicates C+ M-, C+ M+, C-M+ and C-M- (control without oil and inoculum). The shoot length, petiole length, number of nodes, leaf area and percentage germination ofC. maximawere significantly (p=0.05) reduced in uninoculated crude oil treatment (C+ M-), unpolluted mycorrhizal inoculated treatments (C-M+) showed remarkable response in growth parameters above the control (C-M-), while the polluted and inoculated treatment (C+ M+) showed significant (p=0.05) increase in growth parameters when compared to the polluted uninoculated treatment (C+ M-). Heavy metals analysis revealed a significant (p=0.05) difference in the heavy metal accumulation ofC. maxima. The heavy metals analyzed in this study are present thus inC. maxima; Zn>Cu>Cr>Pb>Cd. Crude oil polluted uninoculated treatment (C+ M-) recorded the highest concentrations of heavy metals than crude oil polluted inoculated (R. irregularis) treatment (C+ M+). Mycorrhizal inoculated unpolluted treatment (C-M+) and unpolluted uninoculated treatment (C-M-) indicated the lowest heavy metal concentrations. Inoculation withR. irregularissignificantly (p=0.05) reduced heavy metals uptake byC. maximaas observed in this study. Also, the negative effect of crude oil on AMF root colonization ofC. maximabyR. irregulariswas observed in polluted and inoculated treatment. HM often accumulate in the top layer of soil, therefore, are available for uptake by plants via roots, which is a major entry point of HM that ultimately affects different physiological processes. AM fungi can impinge on the chemical properties of heavy metals in the soil, their absorption by the host plant, and their allocation to different plant parts, affecting plant growth and the bioremediation process, thus making the AM fungi a suitable buffer for mitigating heavy metal stress onC. maxima.

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