Phytoextraction of DDT-Contaminated Soil at Point Pelee National Park, Leamington, ON, Using Cucurbita pepo Cultivar Howden and Native Grass Species

Abstract

A field investigation was conducted at three dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-contaminated areas in Point Pelee National Park (PPNP), Leamington, ON. cultivar Howden and three native grass species, (Michx.) Nash (little bluestem), L. (switchgrass), and (Torr.) A. Gray (sand dropseed) were grown at three different sites in the PPNP having low (291 ng/g), moderate (5083 ng/g), and high (10,192 ng/g) soil DDT contamination levels. A threshold soil DDT concentration was identified at ∼5000 ng/g where the DDT uptake into was maximized, resulting in plant shoot and root DDT concentrations of 16,600 and 45,000 ng/g, respectively. Two native grass species ( and ) were identified as potential phytoextractors, with higher shoot extraction capabilities than that of the known phytoextractor when optimal planting density was taken into account.

How Do Modern Pesticide Treatments Influence the Mobility of Old Incurred DDT Contaminations in Agricultural Soils?

“…In particular, this is observed in Cucurbitaceae , such as pumpkin or squash. The DDX biomagnification tendency of the latter is distinct, therefore a number of publications have evaluated the potential for phytoremediation purposes. ,− …”

“…It is almost certain that the application of either surfactant solutions or surfactant–pesticide solutions will result in comparable effects, which is highly relevant for agronomists. A number of crops, in particular the Cucurbitacea , are known for their increased bioaccumulation of DDX and, therefore, are discussed as suitable for the phytoremediation of contaminated soils. ,− A higher mobility of DDX induced by surfactant activity could result in a shift in the uptake behavior of DDX in plants with a higher tendency of bioaccumulation, depending on the agrochemical treatment of the crop. While this is an intended effect in phytoremediation, an increase or even the mere detectability of DDX residues in food crops are perceived as a risk by the food value chain.…”

Development of simplified probabilistic models for predicting phytoextraction timeframes of soil contaminants: demonstration at the DDX-contaminated Kolleberga tree nursery in Sweden

“…The specific cultivar selected for the field experiment, C. pepo cv. Howden, is a known accumulator of ΣDDX (Denyes et al 2016 ; Lunney et al 2010 , 2004 ; Paul et al 2015 ; White 2002 , 2001 ; Whitfield Åslund et al 2010 ).…”

Fitorremediación: Alternativa biotecnológica para recuperar suelos contaminados con DDT. Una revisión

“…Los estudios de fitorremediación de suelos, aguas y sedimentos contaminados con DDT realizados en diferentes condiciones como laboratorio, invernadero y estudios in situ contribuyen de manera importante a la recuperación de los suelos agrícolas, y los cuerpos de aguas contaminadas con este insecticida o sus metabolitos (DDE y DDD). Una de las plantas de mayor estudio para su aplicación en la fitorremediación es Cucurbita pepo (Whitfield Åslund, Paul, Rutter & Zeeb, 2015;Eevers, Hawthorne, White, Vangronsveld & Weyens, 2016;Eevers, Hawthorne, White, Vangronsveld & Weyens, 2018), cuyas variedades tienen la capacidad de crecer en suelos contaminados con hasta 1,500 µg DDT/kg suelo, y de fitoextraer y acumular este contaminante entre 290 y 2,600 µg DDT/kg de tejido (Whitfield Åslund et al, 2010). Además, la capacidad de C. pepo para acumular DDT puede ser modificada al variar la disponibilidad de la materia orgánica en un suelo contaminado, lo anterior debido al incremento en la biodisponibilidad del contaminante .…”

“…Los estudios in situ ayudan para identificar plantas con potencial fitorremediador porque proporcionan información en condiciones naturales; por ejemplo, Paul et al (2015) realizaron un estudio en tres áreas del Parque Nacional de Point Pelle, Leamington, Ontario, contaminadas con diferentes concentraciones de DDT baja, moderada y alta (0.192, 291 y 5,083 µg/kg, respectivamente). Las plantas utilizadas fueron Cucurbita pepo cv Howden y tres gramíneas nativas Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.)…”