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Phytoremediation potential of Phalaris arundinacea, Salix viminalis and Zea mays for nickel-contaminated soils
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of Phalaris arundinacea, Salix viminalis and Zea mays to the phytoremediation of the soil contaminated with nickel. A 2-year microplot experiment was carried out with plants growing on Ni-contaminated soil. Microplots (1 m² × 1 m deep) were filled with Haplic Luvisols soil. Simulated soil contamination with Ni was introduced in the following doses: 0—no metals, Ni1—60, Ni2—100 and Ni3—240 mg kg⁻¹. The phytoremediation potential of plants was evaluated using a tolerance index, bioaccumulation factor, and translocation factor. None of the tested plants was a species with high Ni phytoremediation potential. All of them demonstrated a total lack of usefulness for phytoextraction; however, they can be in some way useful for phytostabilization. Z. mays accumulated large amounts of Ni in the roots, which made it useful for phytostabilization, but, at the same time, showed little tolerance to this metal. For this reason, it can be successfully used only on soils medium-contaminated with Ni, where a large yield decrease did not occur. Its biomass may be safely used as cattle feed, as the Ni transfer from roots to shoots was strongly restricted. P. arundinacea and S. viminalis accumulated too little Ni in the roots to be considered as typical phytostabilization plants. However, they may be helpful for phytostabilization due to their high tolerance to Ni. These plants can grow in the soil contaminated with Ni, acting as a protection against soil erosion or the spread of contamination.
... Certain nanoparticles have been reported to enhance hyperaccumulator plants' biomass along with the uptake of pollutants by augmenting antioxidant activities [85] like zerovalent nanoparticles (nZNPs) that can remove heavy metals by providing an energy change [36]. Besides, nZNPs, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and metal, and alloy-based nanoparticles have also been reported for the degradation of toxic organic contaminants and metal complexes including atrazine, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, lindane, chlorpyrifos, PCBs, pyrene, and TCE, and 8 Scientifca [73,74] Scientifca pentachlorophenol [86]. Extensive research is needed to explore more such nanoparticles and carbon dots to enhance the phytoremediation process along with the reduction in time required. ...
Rapid industrialization, mining, and other anthropogenic activities have poisoned our environment with heavy metals, negatively impacting all forms of life. Heavy metal pollution causes physiological and neurological disorders, as heavy metals are endocrine disrupters, carcinogenic, and teratogenic. Therefore, it becomes mandatory to address the challenge of heavy metal contamination on a global scale. Physical and chemical approaches have been employed for pollutant removal and detoxification, but these methods cannot be adopted universally due to high cost, labor intensiveness, and possible negative impact on natural microflora. Phytoremediation is one of the preferred and safest approaches for environmental management due to its high efficiency and low cost of investment. The plant can uptake the pollutants and heavy metals from water and soil through an intense root network via rhizofiltration and process via phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, and accumulation. At a cellular level, the phytoremediation process relies on natural mechanisms of plant cells, e.g., absorption, transpiration, intracellular storage, and accumulation to counter the detrimental effects of pollutants. It is widely accepted because of its novelty, low cost, and high efficiency; however, the process is comparatively slower. In addition, plants can store pollutants for a long time but again become a challenge at the end of the life cycle. The current review summarizes phytoremediation as a potential cure for heavy metal pollutants, released from natural as well as anthropogenic sources. It will provide insight into the advancement and evolution of advanced techniques like nanoremediation that can improve the rate of phytoremediation, along with making it sustainable, cost-effective, and economically viable.
... Willows are good candidates for growth in soils amended with mine tailings because they have a high tolerance for iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and other heavy metals and could potentially serve to remediate the tailings (Korzeniowska and Stanislawska-Glubiak, 2018;Pilipović et al., 2019;Suhrhoff, 2022). Many of the mafic and ultramafic rocks used for enhanced weathering contain high concentrations of various heavy metals (Haque et al., 2020a). ...
Enhanced weathering of terrestrial rock material is a promising method for the removal of anthropogenic CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. Herein, we demonstrate that an ameliorated mining waste product can be effectively weathered in the soil environment when used as a soil amendment in conjunction with the cultivation of fast-growing willows (Salix matsudana Koidz. ⨯ S. alba L. “Austree”) in a pot study environment. Utilizing this locally sourced amendment minimizes emissions associated with grinding and transportation of enhanced weathering materials. Results showed that the willows were able to tolerate the relatively high metal concentrations of this amendment and sequester inorganic carbon (C) through the production of bicarbonate in soil solution. During the period of peak plant growth (10 weeks after planting), alkalinity measurements of soil solution from pots with willows and the addition of 25% by mass mine waste product indicated an additional 10 mg of inorganic C sequestration per liter of leached soil solution compared to unamended soils with willows. This represents 4.5 times the inorganic C sequestration rate of unamended soils. The addition of ameliorated mining waste also increased the pH of the soil solution by up to two units (pH of 6 in control vs. pH of 8 with the addition of 25% by mass mineral amendment). In addition to inorganic C sequestration, weathering of the ameliorated mining waste product may also provide base cations (such as calcium and magnesium) which could improve soil fertility. These results are encouraging for future investigation of ameliorated mine waste rock to sequester carbon and enhance the production of willows grown for ecosystem services and phytotechnologies.
... Plants ideal for phytostabilization should have a well-developed root system and be tolerant of high concentrations of heavy metals. It is also important that they are characterized by a high accumulation of metals in the roots and a low translocation from roots to shoots [20,21]. Phytostabilization can be successfully applied to Cd-contaminated soils [22][23][24]. ...
Areas contaminated with cadmium require remediation because it is a highly toxic element. The aim of this study was to assess the Cd tolerance of four grass species (Poa pratensis, Lolium perenne, Festuca rubra, and Festuca pratensis) and to identify the most useful grass for the phytostabilization of areas with extremely high Cd content in the soil. Additionally, the relationship between grass tolerance to Cd and the glutathione (GSH) content in shoots was examined. Two series of pot experiments were carried out using soil artificially contaminated with Cd. Three levels of contamination were used—30, 60, and 130 mg kg−1 Cd—against a control. The plants were cut down 2 months after sowing. At the Cd1 level, L. perenne showed the highest tolerance to Cd (tolerance index TI = 86), while P. pratensis had the lowest tolerance (TI = 65). At Cd2, the TIs ranged from 52 to 59, indicating a similar tolerance of all species. Cd3 was most harmful to L. perenne (TI = 24), while P. pratensis was the most tolerant (TI = 31). Grassroots accumulated much more Cd than shoots. L. perenne showed the greatest increase in root Cd at each contamination level, followed by F. pratensis and then P. pratensis and F. rubra. It is noteworthy that the tolerance of grasses to Cd3 was related to the GSH content in shoots. P. pratensis and F. rubra increased the GSH content 4.6 and 3.6 times, respectively, while L. perenne and F. pratensis only increased it 2.3 times compared to the control plants.
... Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf. , Zea mays L. (Korzeniowska and Stanislawska-Glubiak 2018), Ricinus communis L., are common plants that remediated nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu). In addition, some plants have also been shown to have a capability of multi-metal(loid)s (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) remediation, such as energy plant Elymus elongatus subsp. ...
Miscanthus has good tolerance to multi-metal(loid)s and has received increasing attention in remediated studies of metal(loid)s-contaminated soil. In this study, we conducted phytoextraction techniques to investigate the synergic effects of remediation of multi-metal(loid)s-contaminated soil by Miscanthus floridulus (Lab.) and two plant growth–promoting bacteria (PGPB), TS8 and MR2, affiliated to Enterobacteriaceae. The results exhibited a decrease of arsenic (15.27–21.50%), cadmium (8.64–15.52%), plumbum (5.92–12.76%), and zinc (12.84–24.20%) except for copper contents in the soil in bacterial inoculation groups, indicating that MR2 and TS8 could enhance the remediation of metal(loid)s. Moreover, increased fresh/dry weight and height indicated that inoculated bacteria could promote Miscanthus growth. Although the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the content of chlorophyll in the overground tissues showed no significant increase or even decrease, the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the underground tissues and soil were elevated by 48.95–354.17%, available P by 19.07–23.02%, and available K by 15.34–17.79% (p < 0.05). Bacterial inoculants could also decrease the soil pH. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the bacterial inoculant affected the rhizosphere bacterial community and reduced community diversity, but the relative abundance of some PGPB was found to increase. Phylogenetic molecular ecological networks indicated that bacterial inoculants reduced interactions between rhizosphere bacteria and thereby led to a simpler network structure but increased the proportion of positive-correlation links and enhanced the metabiosis and symbiosis of those bacteria. Spearman’s test showed that OTUs affiliated with Enterobacteriaceae and soil nutrients were critical for metal(loid) remediation and Miscanthus growth. The results of this study provide a basis for the synergic remediation of multi-metal(loid)s-contaminated soils by Miscanthus and PGPB and provide a reference for the subsequent regulation of Miscanthus remediation efficiency by the other PGPB or critical bacteria.
... [47][48][49][50][51][52] Impregnated biocarbon content is higher than that reported for phytoremediation and hyperaccumulation plants to clearly show the effect of Ni and Fe as catalysts in RWGS. [53][54][55][56][57][58][59] Nevertheless, it can be noted that AAEM were leached due to impregnation but Ni or Fe content increased and could be comparable to thresholds for hyperaccumulation (3000 μg/g biocarbon, [59] ). The content of some heavy metals such as Zn could increase with impregnation due to their introduction in the impregnation medium as impurities of the Fe and Ni nitrates. ...
Biocarbon catalysts for reverse water‐gas shift reaction (RWGS) were produced from pyrolyzed fern and willow impregnated with iron and nickel nitrates. This reaction can partake during Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis (FTS) by consuming CO2 and lowering both the H2/CO ratio and the efficiency in the production of fuels. RWGS has attracted much attention to widespread utilization of CO2 through the production of syngas. The catalysts were therefore tested in a fixed‐bed reactor at 400 °C as it is the maximal temperature for FTS and high RWGS. They showed high selectivity towards CO (>84 %) and fair conversion (<17 %) compared to rust (81 %, 30 %, respectively) and Fe‐impregnated alumina (100 %, 8 %). No loss in selectivity and conversion was observed for a longer residence time (288 h). Biomass inherent metals could provide reactive gas adsorption sites that improve conversion by dispersing electrons which reduces adsorption and dissociation energy barriers. K, Mg and Ca in fern biocarbon catalysts may be related to the higher CO2 uptake compared to willow catalysts. Electron deficient sites produced by reduction of biocarbon oxygen functional groups may facilitate CO2 uptake and activation. Ni‐impregnated fern‐based biocarbon showed the highest activity, due to the synergetic effect of the inherent metals, O vacancies and strong metal‐carbon interactions.
... Root (RAF) and shoot accumulation factors (SAF) describe the capability of roots and shoots to, respectively, accumulate PHEs from soil (Bech et al., 2012b(Bech et al., , 2016Ortiz-Oliveros, et al., 2021). The RAF and SAF indices are equivalent to biological concentration factor (BAF) and biological accumulation factor (BAF), respectively, as they are used to determine the capacity of plants to accumulate and transfer from soils to roots and shoots according to different authors (Hosseini et al., 2022;Korzeniowska & Stanislawska-Glubiak, 2019). Hyperaccumulators are characterised by: (a) the shoot to root metal concentration ratio (i.e. ...
Mining activity is one of the main sources to pollute soil, water and plants. An analysis of soil and plant samples around the Atrevida mining area in Catalonia (NE Spain) was preformed to determine potentially harmful elements (PHEs). Soil and plant samples were taken at eight locations around the mining area. The topsoil (0–15 cm) samples were analysed for physico-chemical properties by standard methods, by ICP-MS for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, and were microwave-digested. Plant, root and shoot samples were digested separately, and heavy metals were analysed by AAS. Translocation factor (TF), biological concentration factor (BCF) and biological accumulation factor (BAF) were determined to assess the tolerance strategies developed by native species and to evaluate their potential for phytoremediation purposes. Soil pH was generally acid (5.48–6.72), with high soil organic matter (SOM) content and a sandy loamy or loamy texture. According to the agricultural soil values in southern Europe, our PHEs concentrations exceeded the toxicity thresholds. The highest root content of the most studied PHEs appeared in Thymus vulgaris L. and Festuca ovina L., while Biscutella laevigata L. accumulated more PHEs in shoots. The TF values were > 1 in B. laevigata L., but BAF obtained < 1, except Pb. B. laevigata L., and can be considered potentially useful for phytoremediation for having the capacity to restrict the accumulation of large PHEs amounts in roots and Pb translocation to shoots.
Heavy metal pollution has become a significant concern as the world continues to industrialize, urbanize, and modernize. Heavy metal pollutants impede the growth and metabolism of plants. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in plants may create chlorophyll antagonism, oxidative stress, underdeveloped plant growth, and reduced photosynthetic system. Finding practical solutions to protect the environment and plants from the toxic effects of heavy metals is essential for long‐term sustainable development. The direct use of suitable living plants for eliminating and degrading metal pollutants from ecosystems is known as phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is a novel and promising way to remove toxic heavy metals. Plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can colonize plant roots and help promote their growth. Numerous variables, such as plant biomass yield, resistance to metal toxicity, and heavy metal solubility in the soil, affect the rate of phytoremediation. Phytoremediation using the PGPR consortium can speed up the process and increase the rate of heavy metal detoxification. The PGPR consortium has significantly increased the biological accumulation of various nutrients and heavy metals. This review sheds light on the mechanisms that allow plants to uptake and sequester toxic heavy metals to improve soil detoxification. The present review aids the understanding of eco‐physiological mechanisms that drive plant–microbe interactions in the heavy metal‐stressed environment.
Miscanthus has good tolerance to muti-metal(loid)s and has received increasing attention in remediated studies of metal(loid)s-contaminated soil. In this study, we explored the synergic effects of Miscanthus floridulus (Lab.) and two plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), TS8 and MR2, affiliated to Enterobacteriaceae on remediation of muti-metal(loid)s contaminated soil. The results exhibited a decrease of metal(loid)s except for copper contents in the soil in bacterial inoculation groups, indicating that MR2 and TS8 could enhance the remediation of metal(loid)s. Moreover, increased fresh/dry weight and height indicated that inoculated bacteria could promote Miscanthus growth. Although the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the content of chlorophyll in the overground tissues showed no significant increase or even decrease, the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the underground tissues and soil, as well as the contents of soil nutrients (available K and P), were significantly ( p < 0.05) increased to some certain. Bacterial inoculants could also decrease the soil pH. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the bacterial inoculant affected the rhizosphere bacterial community and reduced community diversity, but the relative abundance of some PGPB were found to increase. Phylogenetic molecular ecological networks indicated that bacterial inoculants reduced interactions between rhizosphere bacteria and thereby led to a simpler network structure but increased the proportion of positive-correlation links and enhanced the metabiosis and symbiosis of those bacteria. Spearman’s test showed that OTUs affiliated with Enterobacteriaceae and soil nutrients were critical for metal(loid) remediation and Miscanthus growth. The results of this study provide a basis for the synergic remediation of muti-metal(loid)s-contaminated soils by Miscanthus and PGPB and provide a reference for the subsequent regulation of Miscanthus remediation efficiency by the other PGPB or critical bacteria.
The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse located at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiaba-MT, from March to May 2012. The objective was to assess the effects of different rates of nickel application with and without liming on maize growth and micronutrient levels. The study was a randomized block design in a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement with four replicates, for a total of 40 plots, including with and without liming and five rates of nickel application, on a clayey Red Yellow Latosol (Oxisol, USDA classification and Ferralsol, FAO classification). Both lime and nickel applications influenced plant growth, reducing plant development with increased nickel application without liming. It was also observed that both lime and nickel applications altered micronutrient levels in the maize plants, independent of which part of the plant was evaluated. Nickel played an antagonistic role with manganese and zinc and a synergistic role with copper and iron.
The aim of the study was to compare the toleration of Poa pratensis, Lolium perenne and Festuca rubra to cadmium contamination as well as the phytoremediation potential of these three species of grass. The pot experiment was conducted in four replications in pots containing 2.0 kg of soil. The soil was contaminated with three doses of Cd – 30, 60 and 120 mg·kg−1. After two months, the aerial parts of plants were harvested. The roots were dug up, brushed off from the remaining soil and washed with water. The biomass was defined and the cadmium concentration was determined in aerial parts and roots. The phytoremediation potential of grasses was evaluated using biomass of grasses, bioaccumulation factor (BF) and translocation factor (TF). All three tested species of grasses had TF < 1 and BF-root > 1. It indicates their suitability for phytostabilisation and makes them unsuitable for phytoextraction of Cd from the soil. Comparing the usefulness of the tested grasses for phytoremediation has shown that the phytostabilisation potential of P. pratensis was lower than that of L. perenne and F. rubra. P. pratensis was distinguished by higher TF, smaller root biomass and lower tolerance for Cd excess in the soil in comparison with the two other test grasses. At the same time, L. perenne was characterised by the smallest decrease in biomass and the largest Cd accumulation in roots at the lowest dose of Cd. It indicates good usefulness for phytostabilisation of soils characterised by a relatively small pollution by cadmium.
Increasing heavy metal (HM) concentrations in the soil have become a significant problem in the modern industrialized world due to several anthropogenic activities. Heavy metals (HMs) are non-biodegradable and have long biological half lives; thus, once entered in food chain, their concentrations keep on increasing through biomagnification. The increased concentrations of heavy metals ultimately pose threat on human life also. The one captivating solution for this problem is to use green plants for HM removal from soil and render it harmless and reusable. Although this green technology called phytoremediation has many advantages over conventional methods of HM removal from soils, there are also many challenges that need to be addressed before making this technique practically feasible and useful on a large scale. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of HM uptake, transport, and plant tolerance mechanisms to cope with increased HM concentrations. This review article also comprehensively discusses the advantages, major challenges, and future perspectives of phytoremediation of heavy metals from the soil.
Soil plays a central role in food safety as it determines the possible composition of food and feed at the root of the food chain. However, the quality of soil resources as defined by their potential impact on human health by propagation of harmful elements through the food chain has been poorly studied in Europe due to the lack of data of adequate detail and reliability. The European Union's first harmonized topsoil sampling and coherent analytical procedure produced trace element measurements from approximately 22,000 locations. This unique collection of information enables a reliable overview of the concentration of heavy metals, also referred to as metal(loid)s including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn, Sb. Co, and Ni. In this article we propose that in some cases (e.g. Hg and Cd) the high concentrations of soil heavy metal attributed to human activity can be detected at a regional level. While the immense majority of European agricultural land can be considered adequately safe for food production, an estimated 6.24% or 137,000km2 needs local assessment and eventual remediation action.
The investigations aimed at the evaluation of nickel bioaccumulation ability of plants from various families (Poaceae—maize, Fabaceae—field bean and Asteraceae—lettuce). The research was conducted under hydroponic conditions. The experimental design comprised ten objects differing with nickel concentrations in the solution (ranging from 0.0 to 10.0 mg Ni dm−3 of the nutrient solution). The parameters, assumed as the basis on which nickel bioretention by selected plant species was determined were: the yield, nickel content in various plant parts, uptake and utilization of this element by the plant, tolerance index (TI) and translocation factor (TF), the metal concentrations in the aboveground parts index (CI) and bioacummulation factor (BAF). On the basis of the obtained results it was found that, due to low tolerance of nickel, maize could be used as the indicator plant for the environment quality assessment.
Our study investigated the accumulation of chromium, nickel, lead and cadmium by maize (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), willow (Salix x smithiana Willd.), and poplar (Populus nigra L. x P. maximowiczii), and the realtionship between the contaminants in soil and in plants. The experiment was performed in contaminated soil (former waste incineration plant) at the Hradec Králové (Czech Republic) site. Plant and soil samples were collected from three plots with different risk element contents (higher amounts of Cd, Cu, Hg, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Pb). The total and available soil metal concentrations in soil were investigated. Only a low portion of risk elements were available for plants (6% Ni, 14% Cd, 1.3 % Pb, and less than 1% of Cr). Chromium, nickel, and lead showed a similar trend to element accumulation where the highest amount was found in plant roots, higher in herbs than in trees (6.83 mg Cr·kg-1, 5.04 mg Ni·kg-1, and 7.76 mg Pb·kg-1). The highest cadmium concentration was found in leaves of willow (1.87 mg Cd·kg-1) and roots of willow (3.05 mg Cd·kg-1). The correlation between the concentration of risk elements in soil and in plants was the highest in the case of lead reaching up to R= 0.89. Results also indicated that translocation of Cr, Ni, Cd, and Pb from roots to aboveground biomass of willow and poplar was low (89-98% of risk elements was retained in roots). The highest translocation from plant roots to aboveground biomass of maize and sunflower was found in the case of Cd and Pb (57 and 83% of Cd, 56 and 76% of Pb). The behaviour of these elements concerning soil and plants differed among fields with unknown history of contamination and type of contaminants.
For the determination of the effect of different nickel (Ni) concentrations on the physiological and biochemical attributes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. Bhakar-02), an experiment was conducted in Botanic Garden of GCU, Lahore. Certified seeds of wheat crop were selected. Soil was mixed with different nickel chloride concentrations (50,100,150,200,250 and 300 mg/Kg of soil) to make the treatments from T1 to T6. The control plants were grown in soil without nickel salt. The study was carried out in order to find out the impact of nickel concentrations on different growth parameters such as plant height, number of green and senescent leaves, number of tillers per plant. All observed plants showed the reduction trend from T1 to T6 as compared to T0 (control). Along with these, biochemical analysis (chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents) and physiological parameters (photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance) of respective plants was carried out in laboratory in which decreasing trend was also recorded from T1 to T6 as compared to control. The present study was helpful in determining the toxic effects of Ni on physiological and biochemical parameters of wheat.
The contamination of the environment with toxic metals has become a worldwide problem. Metal toxicity affects crop yields, soil biomass, and fertility. Soils polluted with heavy metals pose a serious health hazard to humans as well as plants and animals, and often requires soil remediation practices. Phytoremediation, the use of plants and their associated microbes to remedy contaminated soils, sediments, and groundwater, is emerging as a cost-effective and environment friendly technology. Phytoremediation uses different plant processes and mechanisms normally involved in the accumulation, complexation, volatilization, and degradation of organic and inorganic pollutants. Certain plants, called hyperaccumulators, are good candidates in phytoremediation, particularly for the removal of heavy metals. Phytoremediation efficiency of plants can be substantially improved using genetic engineering technologies. Recent research results, including overexpression of genes whose protein products are involved in metal uptake, transport, and sequestration, or act as enzymes involved in the degradation of hazardous organics, have opened up new possibilities in phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils.