Temporal Variability of Gallium in Natural Plants

The aim of the research was to study the distribution of gallium (Ga) in rhizosphere soil and in plants growing under natural conditions in uncontaminated sites, with an emphasis on temporal fluctuations of Ga concentration in plants. For this purpose, two field experiments were conducted in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2019 and 2020, at two sites. Three widespread grasses (couch grass, plantain, and dandelion) were chosen for the experiments. ICP–MS analytical technique was applied for the determination of Ga. All plants were capable of accumulating Ga, but the uptake of Ga was different in different plant species, although the plants grew under the same conditions. It can be assumed that one of the main reasons for such differences was the belonging of the plants to different botanical classes, where biochemical processes can proceed differently. The concentration of Ga in plants and rhizosphere soil varied in the daytime. The daily fluctuations of Ga in different plant species were often completely different and did not resemble the temporal fluctuations of Ga in rhizosphere soil. These short-term variations were due to natural reasons and should be considered when collecting plant and soil samples

Phytoextraction of Thorium from Soil and Water Media

International audienceRemediation of ecosystems that have been exposed to radionuclides is of great importance for many countries. At present the remediation efforts using existing technologies are rather expensive. Phytoremediation can serve as a perspective method for rehabilitation of the radioactive contaminated soils and wastes. Among other radio-nuclides, limited information is available on screening and selection of plants for thorium uptake. In our work short-term pot experiments in a greenhouse have been performed to study the phytoextraction of thorium by wheat seedlings grown in soil and different water media artificially contaminated with thorium. Addition of a small amount of thorium to the media resulted in a significant increase of thorium concentration both in roots and leaves of the wheat seedlings. The uptake of Th by roots depended of the media where the plants grew: it was more significant in water-grown plants. The rate of Th translocation from roots to leaves was approximately the same regardless of the growth medium. The bioaccumulation of Th in the wheat resulted inthe removal of Th from the soil and water. During the short-term vegetation test concentration of Th in all the media decreased: in water — 2—5 times, in soil — 1.7 times. Th accumulation in the wheat seedlings affected concentrations and relationships between other elements in the plants. More significant changes were found in the wheat grown in doubly distilled water and in nutrient solution.The most affected part of the plants was the root system

Scandium bioaccumulation and its effect on uptake of macro- and trace elements during initial phases of plant growth

International audienceUptake of scandium (Sc) by wheat seedlings was studied during 6-d germination of wheat seeds in Sc supplemented medium and during 1-week growth of wheat seedlings germinated under normal conditions in soil amended with Sc. The most significant increase in Sc content in the seedlings was observed during germination of seeds in Sc supplemented medium. Transfer of the seedlings to normal soil resulted in a decrease of Sc level in upper plant parts, but Sc concentration in roots remained rather high. Scandium bioaccumulation caused variations in concentrations of Na, K, Ca, and Zn 0n different parts of the seedlings. The least variations were observed in leaves

Bioavailability and toxicity of bromine and neodymium for plants grown in soil and water

Abstract Information about biological significance and possible phytotoxicity of many trace elements is still scarce. Bromine and neodymium are among the poorly investigated trace elements. In the research, greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effects of bromide of neodymium on wheat seedlings grown in soil and water. The wheat seedlings were capable of accumulating large amounts of both Br and Nd. Compared to the soil-grown plants, the water-grown plants accumulated higher concentrations of the trace elements. The bioaccumulation of Br and Nd resulted in statistically significant variations in the concentrations of several elements. The concentrations of P, Cl, and Ca in roots and Cl in leaves of the plants grown in the contaminated water and the concentration of I in roots of the soil-grown plants decreased. In the water-grown seedlings, the concentrations of Na and P were higher and concentrations of Mg and K were lower than those in the seedlings grown in soil. In leaves of the plants grown in water, the concentration of Cl was lower than that in leaves of the soil-grown plants. In roots of the water-grown plants, the concentration of Zn was higher, and in leaves, it was lower compared with Zn content in roots and leaves of the plants grown in soil. The K/Na ratios were 4 (leaves) and 20 (roots) times higher in the soil-grown plants, while the Ca/Mg ratios were 8–19 times higher in the water-grown plants. Marked distinctions were also observed in relationships between different elements in the soil-grown and water-grown plants

Effects of bromides of potassium and ammonium on some crops

Abstract In this work, the response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), and pea (Pisum sativum L.) to bromides of potassium (KBr) and ammonium (NH4Br) was studied. All plants were capable of accumulating high concentrations of bromine (Br). However, the Br accumulation depended on the Br compounds presented in the growth medium and plant species. The highest Br concentrations were observed in leaves and roots of the seedlings germinated in the medium spiked with KBr. Oat accumulated more Br than other plants and the lowest Br accumulation was observed in pea. The bioaccumulation of Br resulted in suppression of plant biomass and concentrations of several essential nutrients (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Zn and Cl). The most negative effects were caused by NH4Br. Probably, this action was due to cumulative effects of Br- and NH4+. Among other plant species, the most tolerant to bromides was oat and the most sensitive was wheat

Antimony Accumulation in Wheat Seedlings Grown in Soil and Water

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