Phytoremediation Potential of Flowering Plants in Relation to Copper

Heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, nickel, mercury, lead, copper, zinc and others are among the priority environmental pollutants. Determination of their content in its main subsystems is an obligatory component in environmental monitoring and certification of agricultural products. On the other hand, all metals are natural components of soil-forming rocks, and some metals are classified as biogenic microelements, and their absence provokes functional disorders in living organisms. This article describes the results of studying the phytoremediation potential of flowering plants in relation to copper ions under laboratory conditions. The following flowering plants were selected as test crops: tansy phacelia, white mustard, small-flowered marigolds and a mixture of cereal grasses consisting of red fescue, perennial ryegrass and bluegrass in a ratio of 40%, 50%, 10%, respectively. Within the experiment, copper ions in concentrations of 2 and 10 maximum permissible concentration (MPC) were introduced into the soil sampled from the territory of agricultural lands (leached medium-thick heavy loamy chernozem with a high level of humus, mobile phosphorus and exchangeable potassium and a low level of nitrate nitrogen, copper in gross and mobile forms). It was found that all plants selected as test crops are capable of accumulating copper ions from the soil to varying degrees, which makes it possible to use them in phytoremediation of agricultural lands planned for organic farming. The ability to accumulate copper ions increases in the following order: white mustard < small-flowered marigolds < tansy phacelia < mixture of cereal grasses. The maximum effect of soil phytoremediation was revealed in the variant with a mixture of cereal grasses. When they are grown, the content of copper ions in the soil with the introduction of 2 MPC decreases by 38.8%, with the introduction of 10 MPC the concentration decreases by 47.8%.

Metabolomics Analyses Reveal Metabolites Affected by Plant Growth-Promoting Endophytic Bacteria in Roots of the Halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. (common ice plant) is an edible halophyte. However, if ice plants are used to phytoremediate salinity soil, there are problems of slow initial growth, and a long period before active NaCl uptake occurs under higher salinity conditions. Application of endophytic bacteria may improve the problem, but there remain gaps in our understanding of how endophytic bacteria affect the growth and the biochemical and physiological characteristics of ice plants. The aims of this study were to identify growth-promoting endophytic bacteria from the roots of ice plants and to document the metabolomic response of ice plants after application of selected endophytic bacteria. Two plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria were selected on the basis of their ability to promote ice plant growth. The two strains putatively identified as Microbacterium spp. and Streptomyces spp. significantly promoted ice plant growth, at 2-times and 2.5-times, respectively, compared with the control and also affected the metabolome of ice plants. The strain of Microbacterium spp. resulted in increased contents of metabolites related to the tricarboxylic acid cycle and photosynthesis. The effects of salt stress were alleviated in ice plants inoculated with the endobacterial strains, compared with uninoculated plants. A deeper understanding of the complex interplay among plant metabolites will be useful for developing microbe-assisted soil phytoremediation strategies, using Mesembryanthemum species.

Selected techniques of soil contaminated phytoremediation with the use of hyperaccumulative plants and trees

Selected techniques of soil phytoremediation with the use of hyperaccumulative plants and trees are intended to outline the possibilities of using various hyperaccumulative plants, including trees, in the phytoremediation process of contaminated soil matrix. The potential of plants that belong to the group of hyperaccumulators is huge, especially in the case of pollution of large areas of agricultural, forest and urban soil. They can be used in the process of cleaning contaminated, industrially degraded areas and supplement the physical and physicochemical methods of remediation of contaminated areas.

Development of Phytoremediation Technology For Arsenic Removal-A State of Art

Toxic heavy metals and metalloids, like lead, mercury, arsenic, and selenium, are perpetually free into the surroundings atmosphere. There is a vital need to develop low-priced, effective, and supportable technique for removal or detoxification. Plant primarily based approaches, like phytore mediation, are unit comparatively cheap since they are performed in place and are solar-driven. Now this review, Specific advances in plant-based approaches for the remediation of contaminated water and soil. Phytoremediation is an alternate technology to remove of heavy metals in polluted soil. Wild plants were chosen for arsenic removal experiment. Removal of arsenic by conventional method is very costly; this paper focuses the review on method of phyto remediation to remove arsenic from soil. This method is being aesthetically pleasing and is on average tenfold cheaper than other physical, chemical or thermal remediation methods. This paper attempted to provide a brief review on recent progresses in research and practical applications of phytoremediation for soil and water resources.

Heavy metals accumulation in Nerium oleander leaves across urban areas in Setif region, Algeria

Koucim MA, Belguidoum A, Lograda T, Ramdani M. 2021. Heavy metals accumulation in Nerium oleander leaves across urban areas in Setif region, Algeria. Biodiversitas 22: 3083-3091. Pollution by Metallic trace elements (MTE) has become one of the most serious environmental problems resulting from human activity. Plants, which are the base of the food chain, can take up MTE from the soil solution; hyper-accumulators can store high levels of heavy metals in their aerial parts at high concentrations. These plants can be used in phytoremediation. This study aimed to investigate the accumulation of MTE in the leaves of Nerium oleander to monitor environmental pollution of several areas in the province of Setif, Algeria. The samples of N. oleander leaves were collected from 20 urban areas in Setif Province. The concentrations of seven metallic trace elements (Cd, Mn, Pb, Sb, Cu, Bi and Fe) were determined using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AASF). The results show that the concentrations of heavy metals in the leaves of N. oleander, in general, were very high, far exceeding the certified standard ranges. The order of MTE in the leaves was found as follows: Mn> Sb> Bi> Pb> Fe> Cu> Cd. Our findings indicate that although N. oleander showed a significant capacity to accumulate MTE, the urban areas of Setif province were highly polluted by heavy metals. The presence of metal ions in the aerial parts of the plant indicates that N. oleander is a hyper-accumulator of metals with tolerance to Mn, Sb, and Pb, and can be used as a bio-monitor. This opens up prospects for its application for soil phytoremediation.

Heavy Metals Behavior in Soil/Plant System after Sewage Sludge Application

One of the possibilities of removing heavy metals (HMs) from soil is the use of phytoremediation techniques supported with biosolids, which also allow for their disposal. Therefore, the objective of the research was the determination of the sewage sludge suitability after its application to urban soil in order to increase the phytoremediation efficiency of contaminated soil. A field experiment was established on lawns in Białystok (Poland) in two locations with different traffic. The research plots were fertilized with sludge in doses of 14.5 t DM/ha and 29 t DM/ha. A mixture of lawn grasses was sown on the prepared plots. During two years of experiment soil/plant samples were collected, and pH, organic matter, dehydrogenase and catalase activity (soil), the total content of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg (soil/plant), and their fractions (soil) were determined. The HMs in soil were present mainly in residual and reducible fractions. Zn had the highest share in acid-soluble fractions (17–45%). The efficiency of urban soil phytoremediation was determined by the calculation of bioconcentration (BCF) and translocation (TF) factors. The highest values for BCF and TF were obtained for Mo (1.97 and 1.99, respectively). In the presented study, sludge amendment caused an immobilization of heavy metals.

Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals Contaminated Soil in Artisanal Gold Mining at Selogiri, Wonogiri District, Central Java, Indonesia

Artisanal gold mining (ASGM) is commonly found in Indonesia, particularly in Wonogiri District, Central Java. One of the impacts of ASGM activity is soil contamination influence by mining waste. The objective of this study to investigate the potential use of Amaranthus spinosus L. and Jatropha curcas for remediation of Pb and As in contaminated soil. Phytoremediation experiment was conducted by using Amaranthus spinosus L. and Jatropha curcas and evaluate the effectiveness of both plants as a hyperaccumulator. The result shows that the higher Pb and As concentration was found in roots rather than shoots in both plants, however, the use of Jatropha curcas seems more effective on reducing Pb and As concentrations more than Amaranthus spinosus L in both shoots and roots. Generally, the use of both hyperaccumulator plants was more effective in Pb remediation compared to As. This phytoremediation experiment revealed that the use of both hyperaccumulator plants reduces the concentrations of Pb and As in contaminated soil, which of the critical point leading to the entry of Pb and As into the food chain.

New challenges for sunflower ideotyping in changing environments and more ecological cropping systems

As a rainfed spring-sown crop, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is increasingly exposed to negative impacts of climate change, especially to high temperatures and drought stress. Incremental, systemic and transformative adaptations have been suggested for reducing the crop vulnerability to these stressful conditions. In addition, innovative cropping systems based on low-input management, organic farming, soil and water conservation practices, intercropping, double-cropping, and/or agroforestry are undergoing marked in agriculture. Because of its plasticity and low-input requirements (nitrogen, water, pesticides), sunflower crop is likely to take part to these new agroecological systems. Aside from current production outputs (yield, oil and cake), ecosystem services (e.g. bee feeding, soil phytoremediation…), and non-food industrial uses are now expected externalities for the crop. The combination of climatic and societal contexts could deeply modify the characteristics of genotypes to be cultivated in the main production areas (either traditional or adoptive). After reviewing these changes, we identify how innovative cropping systems and new environments could modify the traits classically considered up to now, especially in relation to expected ecosystem services. Finally, we consider how research could provide methods to help identifying traits of interest and design ideotypes.

Element Accumulation Patterns of Native Plant Species under the Natural Geochemical Stress

A biogeochemical study of more than 20,000 soil and plant samples from the North Caucasus, Dzungarian Alatau, Kazakh Uplands, and Karatau Mountains revealed features of the chemical element uptake by the local flora. Adaptation of ore prospecting techniques alongside environmental approaches allowed the detection of geochemical changes in ecosystems, and the lessons learned can be embraced for soil phytoremediation. The data on the influence of phytogeochemical stress on the accumulation of more than 20 chemical elements by plants are considered in geochemical provinces, secondary fields of deposits, halos surrounding ore and nonmetallic deposits, zones of regional faults and schist formation, and over lithological contact lines of chemically contrasting rocks overlain by 5–20 m thick soils and unconsolidated cover. We have corroborated the postulate that the element accumulation patterns of native plants under the natural geochemical stress depend not only on the element content in soils and the characteristics of a particular species but also on the values of ionic radii and valences; with an increase in the energy coefficients of a chemical element, its plant accumulation decreases sharply. The contribution of internal factors to element uptake from solutions gives the way to soil phytoremediation over vast contaminated areas. The use of hyperaccumulating species for mining site soil treatment depends on several external factors that can strengthen or weaken the stressful situation, viz., the amount of bedrock exposure and thickness of unconsolidated rocks over ores, the chemical composition of ores and primary halos in ore-containing strata, the landscape and geochemical features of sites, and chemical element migration patterns in the supergene zone.