A comparative study of heavy metal accumulation and antioxidant responses in Vaccinium myrtillus L. leaves in polluted and non-polluted areas

The purpose of this study was to explore a possible relationship between the availability of metals in soil (Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) and their concentrations in leaves of Vaccinium myrtillus L. as a species which has been reported to be a successful colonist of acid-and-heavy metal-contaminated soil. Analysis also concerned the antioxidant response of plants from three heavily polluted (immediate vicinity of: zinc smelter, iron smelter and power plant) and three relatively clean sites (nature reserve, ecological site and unprotected natural forest community) in southern Poland. The contents of glutathione, non-protein thiols, protein, proline and activity of guaiacol peroxidase in leaves of bilberry were measured. Generally, the concentrations of metals in the HNO 3 and CaCl 2 extracants of the soil from the polluted sites were higher. Moreover, the antioxidant responses were also elevated in bilberries in the polluted sites. Significant positive relationships between Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations in soil and in the plants were found. In the leaves of V. myrtillus from the polluted sites, higher concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn were noted (In Miasteczko Śla{ogonek}skie respectively 6.26, 157.09 and 207.17 mg kg -1 d.w.). We found a positive correlation between the increase in the NPTs and protein contents as well as the Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations in V. myrtillus. Cd, Pb and Zn also decreased guaiacol peroxidase activity. However, the activity of this enzyme increased under Fe. A decreasing trend in glutathione contents was observed with increasing iron and manganese concentrations in bilberry leaves. Parameters such as protein, non-protein -SH groups and changes in GPX activity seem to be universal, sensitive and correlated well with heavy metal stress

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals and ecophysiological responses to heavy metal stress in selected populations of Vaccinium myrtillus L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.

The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Mn) in soil, and their bioavailability and bioaccumulation in Vaccinium myrtillus L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. organs. Analysis also concerned the physiological responses of these plants from three polluted sites (immediate vicinity of a zinc smelter in Miasteczko Śląskie, ArcelorMittal Poland S.A. iron smelter in Dąbrowa Górnicza-Łosień, and Jaworzno III power plant in Jaworzno) and one pseudo-control site (Pazurek nature reserve in Jaroszowiec Olkuski). All of the sites are situated in the southern parts of Poland in the Śląskie or Małopolskie provinces. The contents of proline, non-protein thiols, glutathione, ascorbic acid, and the activity of superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase in the leaves of Vaccinium myrtillus L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. were measured. In soil, the highest levels of Cd, Pb, and Zn (HNO3 extracted and CaCl2 extracted) were detected at the Miasteczko Śląskie site. At all sites a several times lower concentration of the examined metals was determined in the fraction of soil extracted with CaCl2. Much higher Cd, Pb, Zn and Fe concentrations were found in V. myrtillus and V. vitis-idaea grown at the most polluted site (located near the zinc smelter) in comparison with cleaner areas; definitely higher bioaccumulation of these metals was found in lingonberry organs. Additionally, we observed a large capability of bilberry to accumulate Mn. Antioxidant response to heavy metal stress also differed between V. myrtillus and V. vitis-idaea. In V. myrtillus we found a positive correlation between the level of non-protein thiols and Cd and Zn concentrations, and also between proline and these metals. In V. vitis-idaea leaves an upward trend in ascorbic acid content and superoxide dismutase activity accompanied an increase in Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations. At the same time, the increased levels of all tested metals in the leaves of V. vitis-idaea were accompanied by a decreased activity of guaiacol peroxidase. In both species increased Mn accumulation caused a decrease in antioxidant response

Robinia pseudoacacia and Melandrium album in trace elements biomonitoring and air pollution tolerance index study

The accumulation efficiency of selected trace elements in the leaves of Melandrium album and Robinia pseudoacacia grown on heavy metal contaminated sites in comparison with a non-contaminated one was evaluated. The study was undertaken to calculate air pollution tolerance index and to determine the contents of selected metabolites: glutathione, non-protein thiols, ascorbic acid, chlorophyll and the activity of antioxidant enzymes: guaiacol peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Such estimations can be useful in better understanding of plants defense strategies and potential to grow in contaminated environments. The results in the most contaminated site revealed higher contents of metals in M. album leaves, especially Zn, Cd and Pb (3.4, 6 and 2.3 times higher, respectively) in comparison with the R. pseudoacacia. Better accumulation capacity found in M. album was shown by metal accumulation index values. The plants could be used as indicators of Zn, Cd (both species) and Pb (M. album) in the soil. Glutathione content (in both species) and peroxidase activity (in M. album), general markers of heavy metals contamination, were increased in contaminated sites. In most cases in contaminated areas R. pseudoacacia had decreased ascorbic acid and chlorophyll levels. Opposite tendency was recorded in M. album leaves, where similar or higher contents of the abovementioned metabolites were found. In our study, M. album and R. pseudoacacia proved to be sensitive species with the air pollution tolerance index lower than 11 and can be recommended as bioindicators

Accumulation of heavy metals and antioxidant responses in Pinus sylvestris L. needles in polluted and non-polluted sites

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of heavy metals (cadmium, iron, manganese, lead and zinc) in current-year, 1-year old and 2-year old needles of Pinus sylvestris L. Trees were from three heavily polluted (immediate vicinity of zinc smelter, iron smelter and power plant) and three relatively clean sites (nature reserve, ecologically clean site and unprotected natural forest community) in southern Poland. Analysis also concerned the antioxidant response and contents of protein, proline, total glutathione, non-protein thiols and activity of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) in the needles. Generally, in pine needles from the polluted sites, the concentrations of the metals were higher and increased with the age of needles, and in most cases, antioxidant responses also were elevated. The highest levels of Cd, Pb and Zn were found in 2-year old pine needles collected near the polluted zinc smelter (respectively: 6.15, 256.49, 393.5 mg kg −1 ), Fe in 2-year old pine needles in the vicinity of the iron smelter (206.82 mg kg −1 ) and Mn in 2-year old needles at the ecologically clean site (180.32 mg kg −1 ). Positive correlations were found between Fe, Mn and Pb and the content of proteins and NPTs, between Cd and non-protein –SH groups, and between Zn and proline levels. The activity of GPX increased under the influence of Mn, while glutathione levels tended to decrease as Mn levels rose. The data obtained show that the levels of protein and non-protein –SH groups may be useful in biological monitoring, and that these ecophysiological parameters seem to be good evidence of elevated oxidative stress caused by heavy metals

The influence of heavy metals on biological soil quality assessments in the Vaccinium myrtillus L. rhizosphere under different field conditions

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of heavy metals on biological soil quality assessments in Vaccinium myrtillus L. rhizosphere soil as well as in non-rhizosphere soil from different polluted sites. The presented study was also conducted in order to determine any differences in the soil physicochemical and biological properties between the Vaccinium rhizosphere soil and the non-rhizosphere soil. The content of heavy metals and their potential bioavailability, content of macronutrients, physicochemical soil properties, activity of six soil enzymes and microarthropod communities were determined. Soil organic matter, the levels of C, N and all the studied macronutrients and almost all enzyme activity were significantly higher in the rhizosphere soil than in the non-rhizosphere soil. At the most contaminated site, the content of heavy metals was also higher in the rhizosphere soil, but their bioavailability was lower than in the non-rhizosphere soil. The β-glucosidase and urease activity in the soil correlated most negatively with the examined metals. The levels of two enzymes were also strongly impacted by the organic matter—the C and N levels and pH. The number of microarthropods as well as the QBS (soil biological quality index) and FEMI (abundance-based fauna index) were higher in the rhizosphere soil. The bilberry rhizosphere soil had stronger correlation coefficient values between the measured parameters than the non-rhizosphere soil, which suggests that rhizosphere soil is more sensitive and could be used in the monitoring and assessment of forest ecosystems. β-glucosidase and urease were the most sensitive indicators of the adverse impact of Cd, Zn and Pb. The FEMI index seems to be a better indicator than the QBS for identifying differences in soil quality

Evaluating the Accumulation of Antioxidant and Macro- and Trace Elements in Vaccinium myrtillus L.

This study was conducted in order to characterise the accumulation ability of Vaccinium myrtillus L for trace elements such as Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn and selected macroelements Ca, K, Mg, Na and P. The accumulation of nutrient elements and trace elements (ANE and ATE) and changes in the ecophysiological responses in bilberry in differently polluted areas were compared. The accumulation of the elements in the roots, stems and leaves of bilberry from four sites (in the nearest vicinity of a zinc smelter, a Mining and Metallurgical Plant, a main road with a high traffic volume and an unprotected natural forest community) were measured using optical emission spectrometry with excitation using inductively coupled argon plasma after wet acid digestion. The highest Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were found in the V. myrtillus samples that were growing under the influence of the emissions from the zinc smelter. Moreover, the level of the total accumulated trace metals (ATE—17.09 mmolc kg− 1) was also highest for the bilberry at this site. However, in the same area, the sum of the accumulated macronutrients (ANE—296.92 mmolc kg− 1) was lower than at the other sampling sites. An EF > 2 was found for Cd, Pb, Zn and Mn, which suggests that bilberries may be enriched in these metals. According to the translocation factor, V. myrtillus was an accumulator of Cd, Zn and Mn. An analysis of the ecophysiological responses showed that the greatest concentration of ascorbic acid was found in the leaves of V. myrtillus at the most contaminated site (3.32 mg g− 1 fresh weight). There were no significant differences in the total phenols between the contaminated and non-contaminated sites. However, the lowest value of the total phenolic content (490.77 mg g− 1 dry weight) was recorded at the site where the highest Fe concentration was detected in the leaves. A significantly positive correlation between the Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations and a strong negative correlation between the Mn concentration and ascorbic acid content in the leaves of bilberry was also observed. The results provide evidence that the ANE method, which is used to interpret the chemical composition of bilberry has made determining the impact of toxic trace metals on the mineral composition of V. myrtillus significantly easier and also that a non-enzymatic antioxidant such as ascorbic acid can be a good biomarker for determining the oxidative stress that is caused by toxic trace metals

Ecophysiological responses to environmental pollution of selected plant species in an industrial urban area

The aim of the study was to determine the state of the environment in Sosnowiec (southern Poland) based on the ratio of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and the determination of concentrations of selected metals in soil and plant material. The study was conducted in ten stands: five of them were identified as ‘polluted’ and five as ‘clean’ stands. The metal content was evaluated by the atomic absorption method. For APTI calculation, analysis of total chlorophyll concentration and relative water content, the pH of the extract from the leaves was used. Analysis of the bioaccumulation of metals in the leaves revealed excessive concentrations of Pb (32.4 mg kg-1) and Zn (129.78 mg kg-1) at the KWK (coal mine) and Las (forest) stands. Higher capacity accumulation of Pb and Fe was characteristic for Plantago lanceolata. The permitted content of Pb (762.6 mg kg-1) in the soil samples collected at the Cedler stand was exceeded. Elevated levels, higher than the permissible concentration of Cd, were documented in soil samples from most stands within the city. In soil samples collected at the Cedler stand, Cd concentration was almost 15 times higher than acceptable for soil (4 mg kg-1). Based on the scope of the APTI 4.4–9.42 index obtained for the studied species, they should be considered sensitive plants. All selected species can be used as bioindicators for environmental pollution

Using Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata in environmental pollution research in an urban area of Southern Poland

The aim of this study was to perform a complex assessment of changes in the elements of an ecosystem that are caused by environmental pollution in industrial and urban biotopes. The study focused on three sites: a park, a road and the site of the metallurgical plant “Pokój” in the city of Ruda Śląska (Southern Poland), which are each under a different level of anthropogenic load. Soil and plant material samples (Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata leaves) were investigated by performing biochemical, ecophysiological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. A significant difference was observed in all of the study samples. The content of Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil samples that had been collected at the site of the metallurgical plant exceeded the permitted limits (Cd > 4 mg kg−1, Pb > 100 mg kg−1, Zn > 300 mg kg−1). The content of Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd and Zn in the plant material was much higher in unwashed samples than in washed samples. The concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were below the permitted level in the leaves of Plantago lanceolata for Cd (> 5 mg kg−1) and in the leaves of Plantago major for Zn (> 100 mg kg−1). The SEM observations revealed a significant decrease in the stomata pore length (SPL) in the Plantago lanceolata leaves that had been collected at the road site compared with the plants from the park site. The elemental content on the leaf surface was also determined using X-ray microanalysis. The total chlorophyll (Chl) content, ascorbic acid (AA), proline, guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity, pH, relative water content (RWC) and air pollution tolerance index (APTI) were evaluated. The APTI for the investigated species ranged from 5.6 to 7.4, which demonstrated that the studied plant species are sensitive to air pollutants

The Subsequent Effects of Soil Pollution by Petroleum Products and Its Bioremediation on the Antioxidant Response and Content of Elements in Vicia faba Plants

Petroleum-derived substances (PDSs), which are one of the most significant sources of energy, have become key factors that affect soils and, consequently, plants. The aim of this study was to determine the subsequent effects of soil contamination by PDSs such as petrol (P), diesel fuel (DF) and used engine oil (EO), in addition to its bioremediation using a ZB-01 biopreparation, on the activities of antioxidising enzymes as well as on the content of antioxidants in the leaves of Vicia faba L. The effects on the growth of the plants and their chemical composition were also determined. The results showed that as many as five years after contamination, engine oil and diesel fuel adversely affected the growth of plants. PDSs caused a significant increase in the activity of peroxidase and an increase in the content of proline. The contamination of the soil with oils (EO and DF) resulted in a decrease in the content of nutrients (Ca, Mg and P) in the plants. DF also decreased the content of K and N while EO decreased the content of Fe. PDSs also increased the content of lead and cadmium, and some resulted in a decrease in the content of zinc, manganese and copper. The ZB-01 biopreparation generally had a beneficial effect on the growth of plants, and contributed to a lowering of the activities of the analysed antioxidative enzymes as well as the content of antioxidants in plants in the soil that had been contaminated with diesel fuel. Furthermore, it most often caused an increase in the nutrient levels in the leaves of plants. The effect of the ZB-01 biopreparation on the content of heavy metals varied and was dependent on the specific contaminant and metal that were analysed

Zawartość metali ciężkich oraz wskaźniki biochemiczne w liściach brzozy z terenów zanieczyszczonych i czystych

There were conducted studies concerning accumulation of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cd and Pb) in Betula pendula Roth. leaves, in surface soil within cities of Silesian and Małopolska District. Additionally, there was studied guaiacol peroxidase activity and content of -SH groups. Concentrations of heavy metals in birch leaves in most cases did not exceed permissible values. There was noticed an increased Zn content (above 100 mg/kg d.m.) in Betula pendula Roth. leaves on the all studied stands of Silesia. Accumulation of Fe, Zn, Cd and Pb in soils of the Silesian cities often exceeded the permissible level. The conducted studies showed that there is a positive correlation between Zn accumulation in white birch leaves and its accumulation in surface soil. There were not noticed significant differences in content of non-protein -SH groups and guaiacol peroxidase activity in Betula pendula ROTH. leaves coming from Silesia and Małopolska District