Trace metal accumulation by Ranunculus sceleratus: implications for phytostabilization

Abstract

This study investigated the growth response of Ranunculus sceleratus to pollution and its capacity to accumulate trace metals for its use as a phytoremediator in Lake Maruit, Egypt. Three basins (main basin, fish farm, and southwestern basin) representing the natural distribution of the plant as well as the pollution loads in the lake, were chosen for collecting plant and sediment samples. In each basin ten quadrats (0.5 m × 0.5 m), distributed equally along two sites, were selected for measuring growth parameters, nutrients, and trace metal concentration. The highest biomass of the shoot and root (610 and 236 g m) was recorded in the main basin and fish farm, respectively. R. sceleratus accumulated high concentrations of Cu and Pb (27.7 and 9.9 mg kg), while toxic concentration of Mn (2508.0 mg kg) in their roots compared to shoots. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) for the investigated metals was greater than one, and in the decreasing order: Ni (27.1) > Zn (20.0) > Cd (16.4) > Cu (7.7) > Mn (3.9) > Pb (3.6). The translocation factor of all analyzed trace metals was less than one. The ability of R. sceleratus to accumulate Mn, Ni, Cu, and Pb in its roots indicates the potential use of this species for phytostabilization of these metals (mainly Mn) in contaminated water bodies.

Abstracts of the 78th Scientific Conference of the University of Latvia

“…It seems that accession of R. sceleratus from coastal habitats represent either ecotype or physiological type of individuals well-adapted to chemical soil heterogeneity (both Na + and heavy metals) with extremely high accumulation potential in both roots and aboveground parts. Consequently, in contrast to other studies, showing preferential accumulation of different heavy metals in roots, with shoot concentration of Mn, Pb, Cu and Zn being only 6, 10, 12 and 31% from that in roots, respectively (Farahat, Galal 2018), R. sceleratus plants from a saltadapted coastal accession showed relatively high degree of shoot translocation for Mn, Zn and Pb, making them good candidates for phytoextraction, phytodesalination and phytodeeutrophication systems in wet or flooded soil conditions.…”

NAA at a high concentration promotes efficient plant regeneration via direct somatic embryogenesis and SE-mediated transformation system in Ranunculus sceleratus

“…In addition, R . sceleratus has a high capacity for sewage disposal, it can absorb large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, accumulate and monitor the variation of heavy metals, such as Cu, Pb, Fe and Zn 2,5 , etc. However, until now, it has no a universal and stable genetic transformation method used in Ranunculaceae family, which greatly limits the research on the basic research and application research of Ranunculaceae plants.…”

Phytoremediation Perspectives of Seven Aquatic Macrophytes for Removal of Heavy Metals from Polluted Drains in the Nile Delta of Egypt

“…In addition, the Fe and Mn levels in E. crassipes were higher, and the Cu, Zn, Co, Cd, Ni, and Pb concentrations were lower, than those documented by [ 27 ] in the Nile Delta and [ 55 ] in contaminated coastal water in Nigeria for the same species. In the current study, the tissues of R. sceleratus showed higher concentrations of Cd, Ni, and Pb but lower Mn than the same species studied in [ 14 ].…”

“…From economic and ecological perspectives, the use of plants as water purifiers/phytoremediators in various aquatic ecosystems is receiving greater interest [ 9 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly, inexpensive, and widely acceptable remediation technology employing plants and associated microorganisms for the treatment of polluted sediment/soil and water and the recovery of soil and water properties [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…These plants are widely distributed with high biomass, and displayed fast growth within the investigated three drains. They also have demonstrated high abilities to bioaccumulate heavy metals in several drains in Egypt and the world [ 9 , 14 , 15 , 24 , 27 , 28 ]. Therefore, we postulated that the selected seven plant species and their tissues (aboveground and belowground) have the ability to hyperaccumulate and translocate eight heavy metals—iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb)—from the contaminated drains at different degrees.…”