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Phytoaccumulation of cadmium by Pelargonium × hortorum — tolerance and metal recovery

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Abstract

The main aim of the present study was to assess the removal of cadmium (Cd) from contaminated soil by using Pelargonium × hortorum — an ornamental plant. Furthermore, the genotoxic impacts of Cd on plant was evaluated, and accumulated Cd in shoots were recovered as Cd-nanoparticles. For this purpose, a pot experiment was carried out with Cd (0–150 mg/kg) spiked soil. P. hortorum was grown for 24 weeks in a greenhouse. Subsequently, harvested root/shoot biomass and Cd concentration in root/shoot were determined. The micronucleus assay was performed to assess the genotoxicity of Cd within the selected plant. Accumulated Cd in shoots was recovered as Cd-nanoparticles and was characterized by SEM and XRD. Exposure to Cd exhibited a phytotoxic impact by reducing the plant biomass, but plant survived at higher Cd concentrations and the tolerance index was greater than 60% at a higher Cd level (150 mg/kg). Moreover, 257 mg/kg of Cd in aerial parts was observed, and maximum Cd uptake (120 mg plant−1) by P. hortorum was found at 150 mg/kg Cd. Plants exposed to Cd exhibited genotoxic impact by increasing the number of micronuclei by 59% at a higher Cd level (150 mg/kg) and the mitotic index was reduced by 20%. Furthermore, recovered nanoparticles were spherically shaped with an average size of 36.2–355 nm. The plant has potential for the removal of Cd and has exhibited good tolerance.

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All data generated and analyzed in this study are included in this manuscript.

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Funding

The authors are thankful to the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Mega fund for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences & Technology, H-12 Sector, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Iram Gul & Muhammad Arshad

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Hazara University, Mansehra, 21120, Pakistan

    Iram Gul

  3. Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Christian Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany

    Maria Manzoor

  4. Department of Geology, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Dir (Lower), 18800, Pakistan

    Imran Ahmad

  5. EcoLab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France

    Jean Kallerhoff

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  1. Iram Gul
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  2. Maria Manzoor
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  3. Imran Ahmad
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  4. Jean Kallerhoff
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  5. Muhammad Arshad
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Contributions

IG: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, visualization, writing — original draft. MM: methodology, review and editing. IA: visualization, formal analysis. JK: writing — review and editing. MA: funding acquisition, supervision, writing — review and editing.

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Correspondence to Iram Gul.

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Gul, I., Manzoor, M., Ahmad, I. et al. Phytoaccumulation of cadmium by Pelargonium × hortorum — tolerance and metal recovery. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 32673–32682 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24485-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24485-5

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