Negative Impacts of Arsenic on Plants and Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid prevalent mainly in soil and water. The presence of As above permissible levels becomes toxic and detrimental to living organisms, therefore, making it a significant global concern. Humans can absorb As through drinking polluted water and consuming As-contaminated food material grown in soil having As problems. Since human beings are mobile organisms, they can use clean uncontaminated water and food found through various channels or switch from an As-contaminated area to a clean area; but plants are sessile and obtain As along with essential minerals and water through roots that make them more susceptible to arsenic poisoning and consequent stress. Arsenic and phosphorus have many similarities in terms of their physical and chemical characteristics, and they commonly compete to cause physiological anomalies in biological systems that contribute to further stress. Initial indicators of arsenic’s propensity to induce toxicity in plants are a decrease in yield and a loss in plant biomass. This is accompanied by considerable physiological alterations; including instant oxidative surge; followed by essential biomolecule oxidation. These variables ultimately result in cell permeability and an electrolyte imbalance. In addition, arsenic disturbs the nucleic acids, the transcription process, and the essential enzymes engaged with the plant system’s primary metabolic pathways. To lessen As absorption by plants, a variety of mitigation strategies have been proposed which include agronomic practices, plant breeding, genetic manipulation, computer-aided modeling, biochemical techniques, and the altering of human approaches regarding consumption and pollution, and in these ways, increased awareness may be generated. These mitigation strategies will further help in ensuring good health, food security, and environmental sustainability. This article summarises the nature of the impact of arsenic on plants, the physio-biochemical mechanisms evolved to cope with As stress, and the mitigation measures that can be employed to eliminate the negative effects of As.

Unveiling the efficacy of Bacillus faecalis and composted biochar in alleviating arsenic toxicity in maize

“…Similarly, the application of Bacillus faecalis ( B. faecalis ) positively impacted various parameters under arsenic stress in our maize crop study. B. faecalis mitigated the adverse effects of arsenic on plant growth parameters, including plant height, leaf length, leaf width, shoot length, root length, and biomass [ 85 , 86 ]. This effectiveness may be due to B. faecalis role as a rhizobacterium, influencing nutrient availability, promoting root development, and regulating plant metal uptake, as supported by previous studies [ 87 ].…”

Nano-enabled agrochemicals: mitigating heavy metal toxicity and enhancing crop adaptability for sustainable crop production

“…On the contrary, research has demonstrated that As III is more toxic to plants than As V , primarily due to its elevated solubility in water [ 43 ]. Overall, As causes major damage to the morpho-physiological aspects of several plant species [ 44 ]. At the morpho-physiological and metabolic stages, As leads to a decline in germination, leaf wilting, and biomass and disrupts the water balance.…”

“…At the biochemical levels, the overproduction of ROS induced by As is highly detrimental to plants. This is because ROS can severely disrupt plant metabolisms and lead to oxidative damage in important bio-macromolecules like carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids [ 44 , 247 , 248 ]. Nanotechnology has emerged as a significant asset for advancing plant defenses against environmental challenges in the modern era.…”

An analysis of arsenic toxicity's origins, manifestations, and remediation

“…ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and potassium (K + ) were reported to reduce As toxicity in Vicia faba L. seedlings by increasing NO content in both normal and As-polluted soil. Because zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) NPs have high porosity and adsorption capacity for As(III) and As(V), they may be used for As mitigation because they can bind both As(III) and As(V) and remove As through oxidation of As(III) (Sinha et al, 2023).…”

“…The modelling program (GMS 10.2), which aids in the prediction of both water flow and As transport, enables the assessment of potential As content in bodies of water as well as deep and shallow aquifers. By preventing polluted water use in drinking and irrigation, such modelling software, in conjunction with advanced numerical modelling, may aid in improved monitoring and health management (Sinha et al, 2023).…”