Phytoremediation Potential, Photosynthetic and Antioxidant Response to Arsenic-Induced Stress of Dactylis glomerata L. Sown on Fly Ash Deposits

Abstract

Arsenic (As) from coal fly ash can be released into soil/groundwater, presenting a global threat to the environment and human health. To overcome this environmental problem, phytoremediation represents an urgent need, providing ‘green’ cleanup of contaminated lands. The present study focused on As concentrations in fly ash and plants, evaluation of phytoremediation potential of Dactylis glomerata sown on fly ash deposits together with its photosynthetic activity, and oxidative and antioxidative response to As stress. Field research was carried out on fly ash deposits at the thermal power plant “Nikola Tesla”, Obrenovac (TENT-A, Serbia) and the control site. Fly ash is characterized by alkaline pH reactions, small amounts of organic matter, a large amount of available phosphate, and total and available As concentrations. Results in this study indicate that phosphate application can ameliorate As toxicity, uptake and root-shoot transport. Furthermore, D. glomerata can be considered as good As phytostabilizator, because it retains more As in roots than in leaves. Excess As in leaves decreases photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and concentrations of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, whereas high content of malondialdehyde (MDA) can be a signal for biosynthesis phenolics and ascorbic acid, providing cellular redox homeostasis and recovery of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry. In the roots, low oxidative stress under high concentrations of As is related to intense antioxidant biosynthesis. Taken together, the results in this study indicate a high adaptive potential of D. glomerata to As stress. These findings may suggest that physiological and metabolic tools can be used as a way forward in the ‘real field’ scenario, phytomanagement of fly ash and ecosystem services providing sustainable phytoremediation of As-contaminated sites around the globe.

An Assessment of the Phytoremediation Potential of Planted and Spontaneously Colonized Woody Plant Species on Chronosequence Fly Ash Disposal Sites in Serbia—Case Study

“…This is why it is of the utmost importance to choose the right plants; those that are pollution tolerant and are the best at growing naturally [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Previous research has shown that invasive herbaceous species like Dactylis glomerata L., Ipomea carnea Jacq., Saccharum spontaneum L. , Cynodon dactylon L., and Calamagrostis epigeyos L. [ 17 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], but also invasive woody species such as Robinia pseudoacacia L., Betula verrucosa Ehrh., Salix alba L., Salix fragilis L., Populus tremula L., Populus nigra L., Populus alba L., Pinus sylvestris L., Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn and Alnus incana (L.) Moench, Paulownia sp. have exceptional adaptive potential to survive under such extreme conditions, i.e., they do not require any specific habitat management for survival, and can play a significant role in the decontamination and amelioration of such habitats, especially during the initial stages of the revegetation process.…”

The Effect of Mineral-Based Mixtures Containing Coal Fly Ash and Sewage Sludge on Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Selected Morphological Parameters of Deciduous and Coniferous Trees

“…In the present study, photochemical efficiency was lowest in plants grown on CFA without the addition of SS. In the work Gajić et al [83], the Fv/Fm ratio was also low in Dactylis glomerata L. growing on fly ash. Low values of the Fv/Fm ratio in the range of 0.429 to 0.691 were also reported in herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees, including Cirsium arvense, Epilobium collinum, Crepis bienis, Eupatorium cannabinum, Verbascum phlomoides, Calamagrostis epigejos, Oenothera biennis and Festuca rubra, growing on fly ash [84][85][86][87].…”

Microbiological Study in Petrol-Spiked Soil

“…It is a fast-growing, loose-cluster species with a well-developed bundle root system, common to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is resistant to low temperatures, drought, and diseases [ 93 , 94 ]. It is also an energy grass, with biomass production reaching from 11 to 13 Mg d.m.…”