Heavy metal hyperaccumulating plants: how and why do they do it? And what makes them so interesting?

China faces great challenges in protecting its soil from contamination caused by rapid industrialization and urbanization over the last three decades. Recent nationwide surveys show that 16% of the soil samples, 19% for the agricultural soils, are contaminated based on China’s soil environmental quality limits, mainly with heavy metals and metalloids. Comparisons with other regions of the world show that the current status of soil contamination, based on the total contaminant concentrations, is not worse in China. However, the concentrations of some heavy metals in Chinese soils appear to be increasing at much greater rates. Exceedance of the contaminant limits in food crops is widespread in some areas, especially southern China, due to elevated inputs of contaminants, acidic nature of the soil and crop species or cultivars prone to heavy metal accumulation. Minimizing the transfer of contaminants from soil to the food chain is a top priority. A number of options are proposed, including identification of the sources of contaminants to agricultural systems, minimization of contaminant inputs, reduction of heavy metal phytoavailability in soil with liming or other immobilizing materials, selection and breeding of low accumulating crop cultivars, adoption of appropriate water and fertilizer management, bioremediation, and change of land use to grow nonfood crops. Implementation of these strategies requires not only technological advances, but also social-economic evaluation and effective enforcement of environmental protection law.

Soil Contamination in China: Current Status and Mitigation Strategies

http://www.irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/IRSWS/History%20Publications/2/JTEMBHe2005.pdf

Trace elements in agroecosystems and impacts on the environment

Heavy metal accumulation in soil has been rapidly increased due to various natural processes and anthropogenic (industrial) activities. As heavy metals are non-biodegradable, they persist in the environment, have potential to enter the food chain through crop plants, and eventually may accumulate in the human body through biomagnification. Owing to their toxic nature, heavy metal contamination has posed a serious threat to human health and the ecosystem. Therefore, remediation of land contamination is of paramount importance. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly approach that could be a successful mitigation measure to revegetate heavy metal-polluted soil in a cost-effective way. To improve the efficiency of phytoremediation, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying heavy metal accumulation and tolerance in plant is indispensable. In this review, we describe the mechanisms of how heavy metals are taken up, translocated, and detoxified in plants. We focus on the strategies applied to improve the efficiency of phytostabilization and phytoextraction, including the application of genetic engineering, microbe-assisted and chelate-assisted approaches.

/pdf/phytoremediation-a-promising-approach-for-revegetation-of-1ardzp7t25.pdf

Phytoremediation: A Promising Approach for Revegetation of Heavy Metal-Polluted Land

Soils polluted with heavy metals have become common across the globe due to increase in geologic and anthropogenic activities. Plants growing on these soils show a reduction in growth, performance, and yield. Bioremediation is an effective method of treating heavy metal polluted soils. It is a widely accepted method that is mostly carried out in situ; hence it is suitable for the establishment/reestablishment of crops on treated soils. Microorganisms and plants employ different mechanisms for the bioremediation of polluted soils. Using plants for the treatment of polluted soils is a more common approach in the bioremediation of heavy metal polluted soils. Combining both microorganisms and plants is an approach to bioremediation that ensures a more efficient clean-up of heavy metal polluted soils. However, success of this approach largely depends on the species of organisms involved in the process.

/pdf/heavy-metal-polluted-soils-effect-on-plants-and-v8p2rq1kcu.pdf

Heavy Metal Polluted Soils: Effect on Plants and Bioremediation Methods

Sedum alfredii Hance has been identified as a new zinc (Zn) hyperaccumulating plant species. In this study, the effects of cadmium (Cd) supply levels (control, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 µmol Cd L −1 ) on the growth and cadmium accumulation and Zn supply on Cd accumulation in S. alfredii Hance were studied. The results showed that no reduction in shoot and root dry matter yields were noted when the plants were grown at Cd supply levels up to 200 µmol L −1 in nutrient solution. Slight stimulation on shoot growth was noted at relatively low Cd levels (25 to 100µmol L −1 ). Cadmium concentrations in leaves and stems increased with increasing Cd supply levels, and reached a maximum of approximately 9000 and 6500 mg kg −1 (DW) at 400 µmol Cd L −1 , respectively. Root Cd concentration increased sharply only at relatively high Cd levels. Cadmium distribution in different parts of the

/pdf/cadmium-tolerance-and-hyperaccumulation-in-a-new-zn-2k7g3jtse5.pdf

Cadmium tolerance and hyperaccumulation in a new Zn-hyperaccumulating plant species (Sedum alfredii Hance)

Sedum alfredii Hance has been identified to be a zinc (Zn) hyperaccumulating plant species native to China. In this study, growth responses, uptake and accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and Zn by S. alfredii were examined at Cd/Zn combining supply levels. The results showed that optimal growth for both shoots and roots was found when the plant grew at the Cd/Zn level of 100/500 μmol L−1. The concentrations of Cd and Zn in leaves and Sstems of Sedum afredii H increased with increasing Cd and Zn supply levels. The distributions of the metals in different plant parts decreased in the order: stem > leaf  ≫  root for Zn and leaf  > stem ≫ root for Cd. The highest concentrations of Zn (23.2 mg g−1) in the stems and Cd (12.1 mg g−1) in the leaves were noticed when the plants were grown at the Zn/Cd levels of 1000/50 and 500/400 μmol L−1, respectively. The maximum Cd and Zn accumulations in the shoots were 5.1 and 11.2 mg plant−1 at the Cd/ Zn combining levels of 400/250 and 100/500 μmol L−1, respectively. Zi...

Uptake and Accumulation of Cadmium and Zinc by Sedum Alfredii Hance at Different Cd/Zn Supply Levels

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Cadmium tolerance and hyperaccumulation in a new Zn-hyperaccumulating plant species (Sedum alfredii Hance)

Uptake and Accumulation of Cadmium and Zinc by Sedum Alfredii Hance at Different Cd/Zn Supply Levels