Effect of fertilizers on Cd accumulation and subcellular distribution of two cosmos species (Cosmos sulphureus and Cosmos bipinnata)

Addition of fertilizer amendments is regarded as an ideal approach to enhancing phytoextraction. However, there is little information available on the influence of common fertilizers on Cd accumulation of two newly reported Cd accumulators, Cosmos sulphureus and Cosmos bipinnata (C. sulphureus and C. bipinnata). The effects of N (CO(NH₂)₂), NP (CO(NH₂)₂ + Ca(H₂PO₄)₂), and NPK (CO(NH₂)₂ + Ca(H₂PO₄)₂ + KCl) fertilizers on Cd accumulation and subcellular distribution of C. sulphureus and C. bipinnata were studied in a 70-d pot experiment. The results showed that Cd uptake of C. sulphureus and C. bipinnata with NPK fertilizer was significantly higher than control, N, and NP fertilizers, especially 3.8- and 4.7-fold higher than control (p < 0.05). Compared with C. bipinnata, C. sulphureus achieved higher biomass and Cd uptake in aboveground parts under fertilizer treatments, especially NPK fertilizer. The Cd subcellular distribution revealed that segregation of Cd to Cd-rich granules (MRG) might play an important role in Cd detoxification in both species. C. sulphureus is more likely than C. bipinnata to separate the Cd in MRG and reduce the partition in the heat-denatured protein fraction, especially with NPK fertilizer. Therefore, C. sulphureus combined with NPK fertilizers could be an effective method to remediate Cd-polluted farmland soils in China.     

Selection of cold‐tolerant plants for growth in soils contaminated with organics

A mixture of organic chemicals (MOC) containing equal molar amounts of benzoic acid, hexadecane, 2,2‐dimethyl 4,n‐propyl‐benzene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and either cycloheptane or cis‐decahydronaphthalene (cis‐decalin) was applied to soil at rates of 0 to 8000 mg/kg. In a plant‐screening experiment, growth responses of four legume and five nonlegume species were determined at 10 and 25°C. The MOC applied at 2000 mg/kg reduced the growth of several species without resulting in significant seedling death. At 10°C, the growth of alpine bluegrass (Poa alpina L.) in the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg treatments of soil increased by more than 185%. In a plant growth response experiment, alpine bluegrass and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) were grown in soil that had been contaminated at rates of 0 and 2000 mg/kg. At 14 weeks, the shoot and root dry weights of alfalfa were 97% lower in the contaminated soil, while the shoot dry weight, root dry weight, and root length of alpine bluegrass were 135,235 and 268% higher, respectively. Except for pyrene, <23% of the compounds comprising the MOC remained in the soil after 4 weeks and <5% after 14 weeks. The disappearance of the MOC was not significantly influenced by the presence of alfalfa or alpine bluegrass.     

超积累植物伴矿景天镉耐受基因SpMT2的分离及功能鉴定

超积累植物由于其对重金属具有地上部超积累以及超耐受等特性,不仅是研究植物离子转运及毒性耐受的理想模式,而且在植物修复的发展和应用中具有不可替代的作用。伴矿景天是近年在我国境内发现的一种景天科镉(Cd)/锌(Zn)超积累植物。为鉴定其富集和耐受Cd的关键基因,笔者构建了其酵母表达cDNA文库,利用酵母的遗传互补系统筛选到一个极大提高了酵母抗Cd能力的基因SpMT2。SpMT2属于富含半胱氨酸(Cys)的金属硫蛋白(Metallothionein)家族。亚细胞定位表明SpMT2表达于酵母细胞质中,并特异地提高酵母对Cd的抗性。进一步研究发现SpMT2的表达显著降低了酵母液泡中Cd含量,但酵母吸收的总Cd含量无显著变化。推测抗性增加是由于SpMT2在酵母细胞质中通过螯合Cd从而降低Cd对酵母的毒害。qRT-PCR分析表明SpMT2在伴矿景天的根和地上部都高丰度表达,且不受Cd诱导变化。鉴于SpMT2也定位于植物细胞质中,结合上述结果,推测SpMT2可能在伴矿景天细胞质中螯合Cd,在降低Cd毒害的同时可能还保持Cd在细胞质中的流动性,从而在Cd长途转运过程中也发挥重要作用。     

纳塔栎和柳叶栎对铅锌矿区污染土壤的修复潜力分析:田间试验

通过野外调查、采样和实验室分析方法,研究优新景观树种纳塔栎（Quercus nuttallii）和柳叶栎（Quercus phellos）对湖南郴州Pb、Zn矿区复合污染土壤的适应性和修复潜力。试验设计A、B、E区种植1年生纳塔栎,C、D区种植1年生柳叶栎,1年后测量株高、地径、生物量等生长指标,随机采集植物全株及根际土壤,测试植物根际土壤和树木组织中的重金属含量。试验结果：Pb、Zn矿区土壤受到重金属Cd、Pb、Zn和As的复合污染,不同区域的土壤表现出污染异质性,采用单污染指数（Pi）和内梅罗指数（P_N）评价不同地块的污染程度,A区尾矿库（P_N=20.08）和B区（P_N=3.14）为重度复合污染,C区（P_N=2.43）为中度复合污染,D区（P_N=1.55）和E区（P_N=1.07）为轻微污染。纳塔栎和柳叶栎在以上不同污染地块均能正常生长,株高、地径和生物量与复合污染指数（内梅罗指数）及重金属含量呈负相关。其中纳塔栎对Cd的生物富集系数（BCF）在A、B、E区分别为6.27-8.37、3.67-4.38、42.93-52.75,高于C、D区柳叶栎对Cd的生物富集系数1.79-2.15、0.89-1.07。B-E区Zn的转运系数（TF）在1.79-2.28之间,A区Zn的转运系数为0.43。结论：纳塔栎和柳叶栎表现出较强的重金属耐性,对Cd具有较高的生物富集能力,对Zn具有较高的转运能力。其中纳塔栎对重金属积累能力较强,可作为亚热带地区铅锌矿区Cd、Pb、Zn、As复合污染土壤的植被恢复及生态修复候选树种。     

Alleviation of Cadmium Toxicity to <i>Medicago Truncatula</i> by AMF Involves the Changes of Cd Speciation in Rhizosphere Soil and Subcellular Distribution

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve plant tolerance to several abiotic stresses, including heavy metals, drought or salinity exposure. However, the role of AMF in alleviation of soil cadmium (Cd)-induced toxicity to plants is still largely unknown. In this study, Cd speciation in soil and subcellular distribution of Cd were used to characterize the roles of application AM fungi in the alleviation of Cd toxicity in alfalfa plants. Our results showed that the addition of Glomus mosseae in Cd contaminated soil (10 mg/Kg) significantly increased soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic matter in rhizosphere soil with Medicago truncatula L., and then account for significantly decreased contents of exchangeable and carbonate-bounded Cd speciation in rhizosphere soil, indicating alleviation of plant toxicity by reduction of bioavailable fractions of Cd. Although there is no significant difference found in Cd accumulation by roots and shoots respectively between Cd and AM-Cd treatments, more portion of Cd was recorded compartmentalization in cell wall fraction of both root and shoot in treatment of Cd with AM application, indicating alleviation of Cd toxicity to plant cell. Herein, application of AM fungi in Cd treatments performed to inhibit the appearance of Cd toxicity symptoms, including the improvement of leaf electrolyte leakage, root elongation, seedling growth and biomass. This information provides a clearer understanding of detoxification strategy of AM fungi on Cd behavior with development and stabilization of soil structure and subcellular distribution of plant.     

植物根系分泌物在污染及沙化土壤修复中的应用现状与前景

近年来重金属污染等生态环境问题日益受到重视,而物理、化学修复方法存在的诸如成本高、二次污染等问题,使得利用植物、微生物等进行联合治理成为环境修复的重要手段。植物根系分泌物作为植物与土壤进行营养和信息交流的重要媒介,不但对植物的生长具有重要作用,其在污染及沙化土壤修复中作用的研究也得以广泛开展。本文对根系分泌物的组成、分泌机制进行了阐述,并对其在植物吸收重金属、化感作用、植物根系与根际微生物互作、改变土壤理化性质等过程中的作用及机理进行了总结。此外,本文还对利用根系分泌物和根际微生物在生态环境治理中的应用现状、面临的难题及未来的发展等进行了讨论。希望本文可为基于植物与微生物进行的环境修复技术的实际应用提供理论支撑。     

Comparison of Trees and Grasses for Rhizoremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Rhizoremediation of petroleum contaminants is a phytoremediation process that depends on interactions among plants, microbes, and soils. Trees and grasses are commonly used for phytoremediation, with trees typically being chosen for remediation of BTEX while grasses are more commonly used for remediation of PAHs and total petroleum hydrocarbons. The objective of this review was to compare the effectiveness of trees and grasses for rhizoremediation of hydrocarbons and address the advantages of each vegetation type. Grasses were more heavily represented in the literature and therefore demonstrated a wider range of effectiveness. However, the greater biomass and depth of tree roots may have greater potential for promoting environmental conditions that can improve rhizoremediation, such as increased metabolizable organic carbon, oxygen, and water. Overall, we found little difference between grasses and trees with respect to average reduction of hydrocarbons for studies that compared planted treatments with a control. Additional detailed investigations into plant attributes that most influence hydrocarbon degradation rates should provide data needed to determine the potential for rhizoremediation with trees or grasses for a given site and identify which plant characteristics are most important.     

Field Evaluation of Willow Under Short Rotation Coppice for Phytomanagement of Metal-Polluted Agricultural Soils

Short rotation coppice (SRC) of willow and poplar might be a promising phytoremediation option since it uses fast growing, high biomass producing tree species with often a sufficient metal uptake. This study evaluates growth, metal uptake and extraction potentials of eight willow clones (Belders, Belgisch Rood, Christina, Inger, Jorr, Loden, Tora and Zwarte Driebast) on a metal-contaminated agricultural soil, with total cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentrations of 6.5 ± 0.8 and 377 ± 69 mg kg^?1 soil, respectively. Although, during the first cycle, on average generally low productivity levels (3.7 ton DM (dry matter) ha^?1 y^?1) were obtained on this sandy soil, certain clones exhibited quite acceptable productivity levels (e.g. Zwarte Driebast 12.5 ton DM ha^?1 y^?1). Even at low biomass productivity levels, SRC of willow showed promising removal potentials of 72 g Cd and 2.0 kg Zn ha^?1 y^?1, which is much higher than e.g. energy maize or rapeseed grown on the same soil. Cd and Zn removal can be increased by 40% if leaves are harvested as well. Nevertheless, nowadays the wood price remains the most critical factor in order to implement SRC as an acceptable, economically feasible alternative crop on metal-contaminated agricultural soils.     

Phytoremediation—A Novel and Promising Approach for Environmental Clean-up

ABSTRACT

Phytoremediation is an eco friendly approach for remediation of contaminated soil and water using plants. Phytoremediation is comprised of two components, one by the root colonizing microbes and the other by plants themselves, which degrade the toxic compounds to further non-toxic metabolites. Various compounds, viz. organic compounds, xenobiotics, pesticides and heavy metals, are among the contaminants that can be effectively remediated by plants. Plant cell cultures, hairy roots and algae have been studied for their ability to degrade a number of contaminants. They exhibit various enzymatic activities for degradation of xenobiotics, viz. dehalogenation, denitrification leading to breakdown of complex compounds to simple and non-toxic products. Plants and algae also have the ability to hyper accumulate various heavy metals by the action of phytochelatins and metallothioneins forming complexes with heavy metals and translocate them into vacuoles. Molecular cloning and expression of heavy metal accumulator genes and xenobiotic degrading enzyme coding genes resulted in enhanced remediation rates, which will be helpful in making the process for large-scale application to remediate vast areas of contaminated soils. A few companies worldwide are also working on this aspect of bioremediation, mainly by transgenic plants to replace expensive physical or chemical remediation techniques. Selection and testing multiple hyperaccumulator plants, protein engineering of phytochelatin and membrane transporter genes and their expression would enhance the rate of phytoremediation, making this process a successful one for bioremediation of environmental contamination. Recent years have seen major investments in the R&D, which have also resulted in competition of filing patents by several companies for economic gains. The details of science & technology related to phytoremediation have been discussed with a focus on future trends and prospects of global relevance.