Use ofMorus alba–Bombyx morias a Useful Template to Assess Pb Entrance in the Food Chain From Wastewater

Abstract

This study focused on a 75-d microplot experiment to access lead (Pb) entrance into the terrestrial ecosystem using Morus alba (mulberry) and Bombyx mori (silkworm) as pollution indicator sources. The Pb(II) mobility in different systems was in the following order: synthetic effluents > soil > plant > larva > larva-fecal. The Pb(II) mobility from an inorganic source to different life forms was found to be highly dependent on soil pH and the concentration of Pb in synthetic effluents. At lower concentrations, Pb was less lethal to B. mori larvae. Fifth instars of B. mori were found to be more tolerant to toxicity caused by Pb compared with lower instars. M. alba was not a hyperaccumulator plant because Pb(II) concentration was <1,000 mg/kg at all soil pHs and Pb(II) concentrations in effluents. The maximum amount of Pb(II) detected in soil, mulberry leaves, silkworm larvae, and silkworm feces was 326.5 +/- 0.04, 42.78 +/- 0.02, 61.24 +/- 0.02, and 22.3 +/- 0.02 mg/kg, respectively.

Butterflies as bioindicators of metal contamination

“…The studies are usually based on laboratory exposure tests in which physiological or behavioural responses to trace metal exposure are assessed (Bischof 1995 , 1996 ; Wang et al 2004 ; Mirčić et al 2013 ; Ali et al 2019 ), or in which the accumulation levels are evaluated (Prince et al 2001 ; Ashfaq et al 2009 , 2010 ; Zhuang et al 2009 ; Zhou et al 2012 , 2015a ; Vlahović et al 2017 ; Zhang et al 2020 ; Monchanin et al 2021 ).…”