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Growth Responses, Metal Accumulation and Phytoremoval Capability in Amaranthus Plants Exposed to Nickel Under Hydroponics

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Abstract

The characterisation of plant responses to metal exposure represents a basic step to select a plant species for phytoremediation. In the present work, 3-week-old Amaranthus paniculatus L. plants were subjected to nickel chloride concentrations of 0 (control), 25, 50, 100 and 150 μM in hydroponic solution for 1 week to evaluate morphophysiological responses, such as biomass production and partitioning, nickel accumulation in plants and nickel removal ability from the polluted solutions. The results showed a progressive decrease in plant organ dry mass with the enhancement of nickel (Ni) concentration in the solution, suggesting a good metal tolerance at 25 μM Ni and a marked sensitivity at 150 μM Ni. The modification of biomass partitioning was particularly appreciated in leaves, analysing the organ mass ratio, the total leaf area and the specific leaf area. Amaranthus plants accumulated a significant amount of Ni in roots exposed to the highest Ni concentrations, while lower metal contents were observed in the aerial organs. The Ni uptake ratio was progressively reduced in plants exposed to increased Ni concentrations. The metal translocation from root to shoots, appreciated by the Ni translocation index, showed a far lower value in Ni-exposed plants than in controls. Moreover, by measuring the daily Ni content of the solutions, a lower Ni removal ability was found in Amaranthus plants at increasing Ni concentrations. Remarkably, plants exposed to 25 μM Ni succeeded in removing almost 60 % of the initial Ni content of the solution showing no stress symptoms. The potential of A. paniculatus for phytoremediation was discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was realised within the joint project between National Research Council of Italy and Russian Academy of Sciences “Mechanisms of plant adaptation to stress action of heavy metals: possible implications for the phytoremediation technology”. Authors wish to thank Mr. Ermenegildo Magnani for his expert technical assistance in metal content analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agro-environmental and Forest Biology, National Research Council of Italy, Via Salaria Km 29,300, 00015, Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy

    Valentina Iori, Fabrizio Pietrini & Massimo Zacchini

  2. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya ul., 35, 127276, Moskow, Russia

    Alexandra Cheremisina, Nina I. Shevyakova, Nataliya Radyukina & Vladimir V. Kuznetsov

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  1. Valentina Iori
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  2. Fabrizio Pietrini
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  3. Alexandra Cheremisina
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  4. Nina I. Shevyakova
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  5. Nataliya Radyukina
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  6. Vladimir V. Kuznetsov
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  7. Massimo Zacchini
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Correspondence to Massimo Zacchini.

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Iori, V., Pietrini, F., Cheremisina, A. et al. Growth Responses, Metal Accumulation and Phytoremoval Capability in Amaranthus Plants Exposed to Nickel Under Hydroponics. Water Air Soil Pollut 224, 1450 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1450-3

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