New Evidence of Model Crop Brassica napus L. in Soil Clean-Up: Comparison of Tolerance and Accumulation of Lead and Cadmium

Abstract

The potential of the model crop Brassica napus L. (rapeseed) for the phytoremediation of soils polluted with metals was investigated at laboratory scale. The first step consists in the evaluation of the seed germination and growth of the Brassica napus L. plant in a controlled environment, followed by the determination of the photosynthetic pigments content represented by chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids. The degree of metal accumulation in rapeseed has been evaluated by the bioaccumulation factor (BAC), the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the translocation factor (TF). Phytotoxicity tests were performed in Petri dishes with filter papers moistened with metal solutions in the range of 0 to 300 mg/L Pb(II) or Cd(II). At the highest concentration of the lead and cadmium treatments (300 mg/L), B. napus L. showed the lowest germination degree (56.67% and 43.33%, respectively). According to Tukey test results, Pb(II) concentrations of up to 300 mg/L do not significantly affect the length of the hypocotyls, whereas, in the case of Cd(II), the mean of the radicle and hypocotyl lengths of the seedlings are significantly affected compared to the mean of the control. In soil pot experiments, important changes have been obtained in the pigment content, especially in the case of cadmium. For both metals and for each treatment (100 to 1500 mg/kg Pb(II) and 1 to 30 mg/kg Cd(II)), a TF < 1 indicates an ineffective metal transfer from root to shoot. Finally, rapeseed can be considered a tolerant plant and a suitable candidate for Pb(II) and Cd(II) accumulation and for the phytostabilization of contaminated soil under the experimental conditions adopted in the present study.

Pb uptake, accumulation, and translocation in plants: Plant physiological, biochemical, and molecular response: A review

“…Previously, Gul, Manzoor [ 58 ] studied Pb-ions' translocation from roots to the vegetative regions and stated that Pb may require transportation through the xylem [ 58 ]. Further, the accumulation of high concentration of Pb was observed near the phloem and xylem cells in many plants through the X-ray mapping technique, which further confirmed that phloem vessels are also involved in Pb transport along with xylem vessels [ 59 ].…”

Medicinal Plant Growth in Heavy Metals Contaminated Soils: Responses to Metal Stress and Induced Risks to Human Health

“…However, due to the continuous increase of environmental pollution caused by the demands of consumerism, researchers have come up with high concerns on safety and quality issues related to the use of herbal products [1,2]. Inorganic pollutants, such as heavy metals, represent a wide interest category of pollutants for risk studies due to their impacts on the environment and on human health [3,4]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), heavy metals are some of the most dangerous pollutants; non-degradable, they bioaccumulate in the environment, transfer through the food chain, and induce negative effects on the environment and human health [5].…”

Effectiveness and Characterization of Novel Mineral Clay in Cd2+ Adsorption Process: Linear and Non-Linear Isotherm Regression Analysis

“…In addition to the study of the cadmium content of certain plant foods and waters, it is essential to investigate the Cd removal from soil and water. Many physical and chemical methods have been used to remove heavy metals from soils and wastewaters [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”