Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth response of the duckweed Lemna gibba L. to copper and nickel phytoaccumulation

  • Published:
Ecotoxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To assess the tolerance and phytoaccumulation ability of the duckweed Lemna gibba L. to copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), the plants were exposed to different concentrations of Cu and Ni (0.1–2.0 mg/l) under laboratory conditions. The results showed that Cu and Ni were tolerated by L. gibba at concentrations ≤0.3 and ≤0.5 mg/l, respectively. However, plant growth decreased by 50% (I50) when the medium contained 0.45 mg Cu/l or 0.75 mg Ni/l. The observed LCI (lowest concentration causing complete inhibition) were 0.5 and 1.0 mg/l respectively in the presence of Cu and Ni. Results from metal analysis in plant biomass revealed a high accumulation of Cu (1.5 mg g−1 DW), a low accumulation of Ni (0.5 mg g−1 DW) within the plants and a corresponding decrease of metals in the water. The removal percentage of Cu was about 60–80%. We conclude that the duckweed L. gibba L. showed a higher accumulation potential for Cu from polluted water than Ni after 4 days of exposure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Axtell NR, Sternberg SPK, Claussen K (2003) Lead and nickel removal using Microspora and Lemna minor. Bioresour Technol 89:41–48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Babu TS, Akthar TA, Lampi MA, Tripuranthakam S, Dixon DG, Greengerg BM (2003) Similar stress responses are elicited by copper and ultraviolet radiation in the aquatic plant Lemna gibba: implication of reactive oxygen species as common signals. Plant Cell Physiol 44:1320–1329

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cayuela ML, Millner P, Slovin J, Roig A (2007) Duckweed (Lemna gibba) growth inhibition bioassay for evaluating the toxicity of olive mill wastes before and during composting. Chemosphere 68:1985–1991

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coïc Y, Lesaint C (1973) La nutrition minérale et en eau des plantes en horticulture avancée. Revue Hort 2316:29–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Drost W, Matzke M, Backhaus T (2007) Heavy metal toxicity to Lemna minor: studies on the time dependence of growth inhibition and the recovery after exposure. Chemosphere 67:36–43

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Environnement Canada (1999) Méthode d’essai biologique: essai de mesure de l’inhibition de la croissance de la plante macroscopique dulcicole Lemna minor, SPE 1/RM/37

  • Gardea-Torresdey JL, Peralta-Videa JR, de la Rosa G, Parsons JG (2005) Phytoremediation of heavy metals and study of the metal coordination by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Coord Chem Rev 249:1797–1810

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Geoffroy L, Franckart C, Eullaffroy P (2004) Comparison of different physiological parameter responses in Lemna minor and Scenedesmus obliquus to herbicide flumioxazin. Environ Pollut 131:233–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kamal M, Ghaly AE, Mahmoud N, Coté R (2004) Phytoaccumulation of heavy metals by aquatic plants. Environ Int 29:1029–1039

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kanoun-Boulé M, Vicentea JAF, Nabaisa C, Prasad MNV, Freitas F (2009) Ecophysiological tolerance of duckweeds exposed to copper. Aqua Toxicol 91(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khellaf N, Zerdaoui M (2009a) Phytoaccumulation of zinc by the aquatic plant, Lemna gibba L. Bioresour Technol 100:1637–1640

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khellaf N, Zerdaoui M (2009b) Growth response of the duckweed Lemna minor to heavy metal pollution. Iran J Environ Health Sci Eng 6(3):161–166

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lasfar S, Monette F, Millette L, Azzouz A (2007) Intrinsic growth rate: a new approach to evaluate the effects of temperature, photoperiod and phosphorus–nitrogen concentrations on duckweed growth under controlled eutrophication. Water Res 41:2333–2340

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marin CMDC, Oron G (2007) Boron removal by the duckweed Lemna gibba: a potential method for the remediation of boron-polluted waters. Water Res 41:4579–4584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Megateli S, Semsari S, Couderchet M (2009) Toxicity and removal of heavy metals (cadmium, copper and zinc) by Lemna gibba. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 72:1774–1780

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy AS, Eisenger WR, Shaff JE, Kochian LV, Taiz L (1999) Early copper induced leakage of K+ from Arabidopsis seedlings is mediated by ion channels and coupled to citrate efflux. Plant Physiol 121:1375–1382

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2002) Guidelines for the testing of chemicals. Lemna sp. Growth inhibition Test, Draft guideline 221

  • Papazoglou EG, Karantounias GA, Vemmos SN, Bouranis DL (2005) Photosynthesis and growth responses of Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) to heavy metals Cd and Ni. Environ Int 31:243–249

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rabier J, Laffont-Schwob I, Bouraïma-Madjèbi S, Virginie Léon V, Prudent P, Viano J, Murray W, Nabors MW, Pilon-Smits EAH (2007) Characterization of metal tolerance and accumulation in Grevillea Exul VAR Exul. Int J Phytorem 9(5):419–435

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Radic S, Stipanicev D, Cvjetko P, Mikelic IL, Rajcic MM, Sirac S, Pevalek-Kozlina B, Pavlica M (2010) Ecotoxicological assessment of industrial effluent using duckweed (Lemna minor L.) as a test organism. Ecotoxicology 19:216–222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rai PK (2009) Heavy metal phytoremediation from aquatic ecosystems with special reference to macrophytes. Critical Rev Environ Sci Technol 39(9):697–753

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rajkumar K, Sivakumar S, Senthilkumar P, Prabha D, Subbhuraam CV, Song YC (2009) Effects of selected heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cd) in the aquatic medium on the restoration potential and accumulation in the stem cuttings of the terrestrial plant, Talinum triangulare Linn. Ecotoxicology 18:952–960

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rana SVS (2008) Metals and apoptosis: recent developments. J Trace Elem Med Biol 22:262–284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Remon E, Bouchardon JL, Faure O (2007) Multi-tolerance to heavy metals in Plantago arenaria Waldst. & Kit: adaptative versus constitutive characters. Chemosphere 69:41–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sabreen S, Sugiyama S (2008) Trade-off between cadmium tolerance and relative growth rate in 10 grass species. Environ Exp Bot 63:327–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scion image-Release Alpha 4.0.3.2 (2004). www.scioncorp.com

  • Sundaramoorthy S, Kumar D, Vaijapurkar SG (2008) A new chlorophycean nickel hyperaccumulator. Bioresour Technol 99:3930–3934

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Susarla S, Medina VF, McCutcheon SC (2002) Phytoremediation: an ecological solution to organic chemical contamination. Ecol Eng 18:647–658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teisseire H, Guy V (2000) Copper induced changes in antioxidant enzymes activities in fronds of duckweed (Lemna minor). Plant Sci 153:65–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wanatabe ME (1997) Phytoremediation of the brink of commercialization. Environ Sci Technol 32(4):182–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang W (1990) Literature review on duckweed toxicity testing. Environ Res 52(1):7–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zayed A, Gowthaman S, Terry N (1998) Phytoaccumulation of trace elements by wetland plants: I. Duckweed. J Environ Qual 27:715–721

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X, Li Q, Arita A, Sun H, Costa M (2009) Effects of nickel, chromate, and arsenite on histone 3 lysine methylation. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 236(1):78–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the CNEPRU projects program (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Algeria) for its financial support to this research project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Badji Mokhtar University, P.O. Box 12, 23000, Annaba, Algeria

    Nabila Khellaf & Mostefa Zerdaoui

Authors
  1. Nabila Khellaf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mostefa Zerdaoui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nabila Khellaf.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Khellaf, N., Zerdaoui, M. Growth response of the duckweed Lemna gibba L. to copper and nickel phytoaccumulation. Ecotoxicology 19, 1363–1368 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-010-0522-z

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-010-0522-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation