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Accumulation of heavy metals in the metal-tolerant fern,Athyrium yokoscense, growing on various environments

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Abstract

The accumulation of copper, zinc and cadmium inA. yokoscense collected from Ashio (copper-contaminated area), Bandai (zinc- and cadmium-contaminated area) and Tama (non-contaminated area), has been investigated. Copper and zinc were accumulated most highly in the root, whilst cadmium was accumulated more in the leaf. The root ofA. yokoscense growing in areas contaminated with metals contained maximum amounts of Cu (5, 989 mg. kg−1 dry weight) and Zn (6,384 mg.kg−1 dry weight), while in the leaf from the Bandai area 164.8 mg Cd.kg−1 dry weight was accumulated. These amounts are far greater than those found inA yokoscense growing on the non-metalliferous habitat (Tama). Twenty five times more zinc and three times more cadmium were found in the dead leaf than in the living leaf. InA. yokoscense growing on soils containing more than 1,000 mg Cu or Zn.kg−1 dry weight, the uptake of copper by the root increased considerably with increasing copper content in the soils, while the uptake of zinc increased only slightly compared with the increase of zinc in the soils.

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Nishizono, H., Suzuki, S. & Ishii, F. Accumulation of heavy metals in the metal-tolerant fern,Athyrium yokoscense, growing on various environments. Plant Soil 102, 65–70 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370902

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370902

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