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Stress responses of Erica andevalensis Cabezudo & Rivera plants induced by polluted water from Tinto River (SW Spain)

Ecotoxicology volume 18, pages 1058–1067 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The effects of Tinto River water on Erica andevalensis growth, biochemical indicators and elemental concentration and distribution were investigated under laboratory conditions. High levels of toxic elements such as B, Fe and S and acidic pH characterized the river water. Plant analysis revealed that the concentration of Al, B, S and Fe increased in all plant organs reaching in some cases values in the toxicity range. Plants transferred into river water stopped growing and stress was manifested by plant water loss, increase in peroxidase activity and decrease of chlorophyll a concentration. Significant decreases of free amino acid concentration were found in shoots and roots of plants grown in diluted river water. The results indicated that Tinto River water acidity and its excess in soluble elements produced altogether severe alterations in roots affecting plant water and nutrient uptake and leading to the massive entry of some metals (e.g. Fe, Al) with toxic effects. Scanning-electron microscopy (cryoSEM and ESEM) observations showed that E. andevalensis had not exclusion mechanisms of Cu, Fe and S therefore it was not able to reduce translocation to aerial parts.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (MEC) (CGL2006-1418/BOS) and Fundación Areces. The authors also thank Manlio Colella from CISME (Naples, Italy) and Fernando Pinto from CCMA-CSIC (Madrid, Spain) for their technical assistance in ESEM and SEM-EDX analysis.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, Apartado de Correo 1095, 41080, Sevilla, Spain

    S. Rossini Oliva & B. Valdés

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100, Siena, Italy

    R. Bargagli & F. Monaci

  3. Department of Environmental Geochemistry, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain

    M. D. Mingorance

  4. Department of Plant Biotechnology, IRNAS-CSIC, Avda. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012, Sevilla, Spain

    E. O. Leidi

Authors
  1. S. Rossini Oliva
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  2. R. Bargagli
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  3. F. Monaci
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  4. B. Valdés
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  5. M. D. Mingorance
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  6. E. O. Leidi
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Correspondence to S. Rossini Oliva.

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Rossini Oliva, S., Bargagli, R., Monaci, F. et al. Stress responses of Erica andevalensis Cabezudo & Rivera plants induced by polluted water from Tinto River (SW Spain). Ecotoxicology 18, 1058–1067 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0366-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0366-6

Keywords

  • Mining
  • Erica
  • Tolerant plants
  • Toxicity
  • Metal stress