Nickel phytoremediation potential of some plant species of the Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Nickel is a known hepatotoxic, haemotoxic, pulmonary toxic, nephrotoxic, reproductive toxic, carcinogenic, phytotoxic and neurotoxic agent. The adverse ecological impacts from unnecessary heavy metals include contamination of water and soil which pose serious threats to human health. This study was conducted to screen plants for the phytoremediation of nickel from sixty-one sites of the Lower Dir. Nickel-metal was analyzed in the soil, roots and shoots of plants. The total concentration of nickel in soil, roots and shoots was found to be in the range of 1.03-18.98, 12.63-540.73 and 12.00-295.86 mg kg–1 dry weight basis (DW) respectively. The highest nickel contents were present in the roots of Xanthium strumarium (540.73) and shoots of Bryophyllum daigremontianum (295.86). None of the plant species were identified as hyper accumulators for nickel but based on BCF, TF and BAC values most of the species showed feasibility for its phytoextraction and phytostabilization. Xanthium strumarium, Filago hurdwarica, Ranunculus arvensis, Medicago lupulina, Cannabis sativa, Geranium rotundifolium and Cerastium glomeratum are suggested for the phytostabilization of nickel whereas Bryophyllum daigremontianum, Rosularia adenotricha, Iris germanica, Asplenium dalhousiae and Isatis tinctoria for the phytoextraction of soil contaminated with nickel.

Palynological characteristics of selected Lamioideae taxa and its taxonomic significance

“…Sculpturing of Exine was observed as reticulate, microreticulate, and bireticulate, with colpus surface ornamentation verrucate, gemmate, scabrate, and psilate. These species further recommended for medicinal and pharmacological potential (Ashfaq et al, 2019; Bahadur et al, 2020; Zaman et al, 2020), macromorphological (Khan, Ahmad, Shuaib, Bahadur, & Hussain, 2020), nanoparticles (Azam, Ayaz, et al, 2020; Azam, Khan, et al, 2020), pharmacological, and antimicrobial potential (Rubab et al, 2020), ecological significance (Sajad, Khan, Bahadur, Naeem, et al, 2020; Sajad, Khan, Bahadur, Shuaib, et al, 2020), its association with other plants (Azam, Ayaz, et al, 2020; Azam, Khan, et al, 2020; Naeem et al, 2020; Sarah et al, 2019).…”

Phytoremediation Potential of Iris spp.

“…The species I. germanica demonstrated phytoremediation capacity for some heavy metals following plant sampling from field as well as under experimental conditions. I. germanica plants collected in field from Lower Dir Pakistan demonstrated Ni bioconcentration factor of 9.87 and a translocation factor 2.97 (Sajad et al, 2020). Under experimental conditions, Pb level reached as high as 561.28 μg/g in roots of I. germanica under 1000 Pb mg/kg contamination.…”

“…Research has shown that I. pseudacorus plants accumulated higher levels of Zn, Fe and Mn in roots compared to leaves while Ni reached higher levels in leaves compared to roots (Parzych et al, 2016). Similarly, Sajad et al (2020) identified that I. germanica also accumulates higher levels of Ni in shoots (249.36 mg/kg) compared to roots (84.00 mg/kg). As for Pb, this element accumulated in higher levels in roots (up to 11156.7 mg/kg) compared to shoots (up to 1077.5 mg/kg) of I. lactea (Lu et al, 2020).…”

Effect of necrotrophic fungus and PGPR on the comparative histochemistry of Vigna radiata by using multiple microscopic techniques

“…Almeida et al (2015) reported that the formation of phenols, lignin, starch and gels in plant root and stem cells serve as physical and chemical barriers which constitute the activation of multiple defense mechanisms against M. phaseolina . Moreover this plant should be further screened out for its phytochemical, medicinal and pharmacological potential by following the previously published protocol (Bahadur et al, 2020; Ijaz, Durrani, Rubab, & Bahadur, 2021; Rubab et al, 2020, 2021), ecological (Sajad et al, 2020; Shuaib, Bahadur, & Hussain, 2020) antimicrobial and phytotoxic potential (Azam et al, 2020; Shuaib et al, 2021) nanoparticles (Liaqat et al, 2021) and physiological (Iqbal et al, 2020).…”