Phytoextraction of Nickel by Selected Ornamental Plants

Abstract

Abstract:In the pot experiment the effect of increasing doses of Ni (the control, 25, 50, 75, 150, 300 mg · dm -3 substrate) on the content of this metal in individual organs of aboveground parts was investigated in three selected species of ornamental plants: Aztec marigold (Tagetes erecta L.), sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) and love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus L.). A significant effect of increasing Ni doses on the content of this metal was found in individual organs of selected species. In Tagetes erecta L. and Amaranthus caudatus L. the highest amounts of nickel were accumulated in leaves, while in sunflower growing in the substrate, to which nickel was introduced at 25, 50, 75 and 150 mg·dm -3 , the highest amounts of this metal were accumulated in inflorescences. Among the analyzed species of ornamental plants growing in the substrate with no addition of this metal and in the substrate with an addition of 25 and 50 mg Ni · dm -3 the highest nickel uptake was observed in Tagetes erecta L. plants. For the substrate with an addition of 75, 150 and 300 mg Ni · dm -3 the biggest nickel accumulation was recorded in Amaranthus caudatus L.Keywords: nickel, ornamental plant, phytoextraction, phytoremediation, Tagetes erecta L., Helianthus annus L., Amaranthus caudatus L. IntroductionIntensive development of the civilization has been accompanied by the contamination of the environment with heavy metals, including nickel. Large amounts of nickel are transferred to the environment by combustion of liquid fuels, petroleum products and other fossil fuels as well as extensive applications of this metal in the metallurgical industry (eg anticorrosive coats) and as a catalyst in organic syntheses [1], which indicates that urbanized areas are at a particular risk of elevated nickel emissions. In Poland plants capable of phytoremediation of heavy metals are searched for, as they may decontaminate the environment in our moderate climate. As it was reported by [2], most species suitable for phytoremediation purposes belong to the families Brasicaceae and Fabaceae. When analyzing the urban landscape we may observe increasing efforts to enhance the aesthetics and appearance of green areas, providing applications for such ornamental plant species, which may improve the structure and reduce contamination of soils in the city. Additional factors determining the selection of species for urban plantings should include a given plant's capacity to survive and function normally in the environment seriously contaminated with heavy metals and phytoextraction capacity, ie the accumulation of large amounts of metals in the aboveground parts. Studies on plants capable of decontaminating urban soils from heavy metals were conducted eg by [3][4][5][6][7][8][9].Attractiveness of the technology using ornamental plants for the remediation of contaminated environments was an incentive for the investigations conducted within this study. Analyses were conducted on three commonly used species of ornamental plants growing on soils co...

Physiological response of two brassica napus l. cultivars to nickel treatment

“…It was also suggested that cultivars having low shoot/root Ni ratio had better ability to retain Ni in the roots, possibly by binding and sequestering it in the vacuoles [36], which might have contributed to the tolerance to Ni. Interspecies differences in accumulation and translocation of Ni were confirmed by Bosiacki and Wojciechowska [37] in their experiments with ornamental plant species Tagetes erecta L., Helianthus annus L. and Amaranthus caudatus L. Translocation factors (TF) as well as the portion from the total accumulated metal amount by the plant occurring in the shoots are summarized in Table 3. The TF factors correspond to the ratio of accumulated Ni amount in shoots and roots.…”

Μetal Uptake by Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Irrigated with Water Polluted with Chromium and Nickel

“…Generally, the total amounts of chromium and nickel absorbed by the plant remained in the roots despite the fact that there were six different irrigation lines with different concentrations of Cr (VI) and Ni (II). In similar studies to ours, the higher absorbance of Ni was recorded in stems [21], whereas Ni in the leaves of sunflower have been observed to be selectively distributed to key points of the sheet (mesophyll) of the plant [17]. …”

Influence of increasing nickel content in soil on Miscanthus × giganteus Greef and Deu. Yielding and on the content of nickel in above-ground biomass / Wpływ wzrastającej zawartości niklu w glebie na plonowanie Miscanthus x giganteus Greef i Deu. i zawartość niklu w nadziemnej biomasie

“…The metal concentration index was caluclated from the formula C = a : b a -content in a plant growing in a polluted substrate b -content in a plant growing in an unpolluted substrate (Bosiacki and Wojciechowska 2012). Nickel concentration index in the above-ground parts of Miscanthus × giganteus of over 100 was recorded both in the fi rst and second year of plant growth in mineral soil and in a mixture of soil with peat which was contaminated with nickel at 600 mg dm -3 (Table 5).…”