Abstract
In recent years, awareness has risen that the total soil content of pollutants by itself does not suffice to fully assess the potential ecotoxicological risks involved. Chemical analysis will require to be complemented with biological assays in a multidisciplinary approach towards site specific ecological risk assessment (SS-ERA). This paper evaluates the potential use of the plants' antioxidant response to metal-induced oxidative stress to provide a sensitive biological assay in SS-ERA. To this end, plants of Phaseolus vulgaris were grown for two weeks on 15 soils varying in contamination level. Morphological parameters and enzymatic plant responses were measured upon harvest. Foliar concentrations of the (heavy) metals Al, Cu, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn were also determined. Metal mobility in the soil was further assessed by determining soil solution and NH4OAc extractable levels. In general more significant correlations were observed between plant responses and foliar metal concentrations or exchangeable/soluble levels than between plant responses and the total soil content. The study demonstrates the potential use of the plants' antioxidant defence mechanisms to assess substrate phytotoxicity for application in SS-ERA protocols. However, the system, based on calculation of a soil Phytotoxicity Index (PI), will require adaptation and fine-tuning to meet the specific needs for this type of environmental monitoring. Large variation was observed in phytotoxicity classification based on the various test parameters. The thresholds for classification of the various morphological and enzymatic response parameters may require adaptation according to parameter stress sensitivity in order to decrease the observed variation. The use of partial PI's (leaves and roots separately) may in addition increase the sensitivity of the system since some metals show specific effects in one of both organs only. Loss of biological functionality of enzymes, as was observed for ICDH in one of the more strongly contaminated soils, may also be recognized as an additional stress symptom when assigning phytotoxicity classification, whereas the current system only considers increasing enzymatic capacities. Other easily distinguishable parameters, which could be added to the current indexation are: failure to germinate and the incapacity to develop roots in the toxic substrate.
Additional research will be required to determine the possible application range of soil properties for this biological assay and to further improve its performance in SS-ERA.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adriano, D. C.: 2001, Trace Elements in Terrestrial Environments: Biogeochemistry, Bioavailability and Risks of Metals, Springer-Verlag, New York, USA, 867p.
Allison, L. E.: 1965, Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties, Black, C. A. et al. (eds), Agronomy Monograph 9 (2nd edn.), ASA, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, pp. 1367–1378.
Brown, S. L., Chaney, R. L., Angle, J. S. and Baker, A. J. M: 1994, ‘Phytoremediation potential of Thlaspi caerulescens and bladder campion for Zinc and Cadmium contaminated soil’, J. Environ. Qual. 23, 1151–1157.
Brown, S., Chaney, R., Hallfrisch, J., Ryan, J. A. and Berti, W. R.: 2004, ‘In situ soil treatments to reduce the phyto- and bioavailability of lead, zinc and cadmium’, J. Environ. Qual. 33, 522–531.
Brun, L. A., Maillet, J., Hinsinger, P. and Pepin, M.: 2001, ‘Evaluation of copper availability to plants in copper-contaminated vineyard soils’, Environ. Pollut. 111, 293–302.
Chapman, P. M., Wang, F., Germano, J. D. and Batley, G.: 2002, ‘Pore water testing and analysis: The good, the bad, and the ugly’, Mar. Pollut. Bull. 44, 359–366.
Clijsters, H., Cuypers, A. and Vangronsveld, J.: 1999, ‘Physiological responses to heavy metals in higher plants; defence against oxidative stress’, Z. Naturforsch. 54c, 730–734.
Cuypers, A., Vangronsveld, J., and Clijsters, H.: 2002, ‘Peroxidases in roots and primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris. Copper and Zinc Phytotoxicity: A comparison’, J. Plant Physiol. 159, 869–876.
Dietz, K.-J., Baier, M. and Krämer, U.: 1999, ‘Free radicals and reactive oxygen species as mediators of heavy metal toxicity in plants’, in: M. N. V. Prasad and J. Hagemeyer, J. (eds.). Heavy metal stress in plants : Molecules to Ecosystem, Springer Verlag, New York, USA, pp. 73–97.
Foyer, C. H.: 1993, ‘Ascorbic acid’, in: R. G., Alscher and J. L. Hess (eds.), Antioxidants in higher plants, CRC Press, Florida, USA, pp. 31–58.
Foyer, C. H., Descourvieres, P. and Kunert, K. J.: 1994, ‘Protection against oxygen radicals: an important defence mechanism studied in transgenic plants’, Plant Cell Environ. 17, 507–523.
Geebelen, W., Vangronsveld, J., Adriano, D. C., Van Poucke, L. C. and Clijsters, H.: 2002a, ‘Effects of Pb-EDTA and EDTA on oxidative stress reactions and mineral uptake in Phaseolus vulgaris’, Physiol. Plant. 115, 377–384.
Geebelen, W., Vangronsveld, J., Adriano, D. C., Carleer, R. and Clijsters, H.: 2002b, ‘Amendment-induced immobilization of lead in a lead-spiked soil: Evidence from phytotoxicity studies’, Water, Air, Soil Pollut. 140, 261–277.
Geebelen, W., Adriano, D. C., van der Lelie, D., Mench, M., Carleer, R., Clijsters, H. and Vangronsveld, J.: 2003, ‘Selected bioavailability assays to test the efficacy of amendment-induced immobilization of lead in soils’, Plant. Soil. 249, 217–228.
Gommy, C., Perdrix, E., Galloo, J.-C. and Guillermo, R.: 1998, ‘Metal speciation in soil: Extraction of exchangeable cations from a calcareous soil with a magnesium nitrate solution’, Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 72, 27–45.
Meers, E.: 2005, Phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated dredged sediments. Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD in Applied Biological Sciences. Ghent University, Belgium, ISBN 90-5989-053-1, p. 341.
Meers, E., Unamuno, V. R., Vandegehuchte, M., Vanbroekhoven, K., Geebelen, W., Roeland, S., Vangronsveld, J., Diels, L., Ruttens, A., Du Laing, G. and Tack, F. M. G.: 2005, ‘Soil solution speciation of Cd as affected by soil characteristics in unpolluted and polluted soils’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 24, 449–509.
Meers, E., Unamuno, V. R., Du Laing, G., Vandegehuchte, M., Vangronsveld, J., Vanbroekhoven, K., Samson, R. and Tack, F. M. G.: 2006, ‘Zn in the soil solution of unpolluted and polluted soils as affected by soil characteristics’, Geoderma, in press.
Mocquot, B., Vangronsveld, J., Clijsters, H. and Mench, M.: 1996, ‘Copper toxicity in young maize (Zea mays L.) plants. Effects on growth, mineral and chlorophyll contents, and enzyme activities’, Plant. Soil. 182, 287–300.
OECD: 1984, Guideline for testing chemicals. No 207. Earthworm, acute toxicity tests. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
Thomas, J. C., Malick, F. K., Endreszl, C., Davies, E. C. and Murray, K. S.: 1998, ‘Distinct responses to copper stress in the halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum’, Physiol. Plant 102, 360–368.
Van Assche, F., Cardinaels, C. and Clijsters, H.: 1988, ‘Induction of enzyme capacity in plants as a result of heavy metal toxicity: Dose-response relations in Phaseolus vulgaris L., treated with zinc and cadmium’, Environ. Pollut. 52, 103–115.
Van Assche, F. and Clijsters, H.: 1990a, ‘A Biological test system for the evaluation of the phytotoxicity of metal-contaminated soils’, Environ. Pollut. 66, 157–172.
Van Assche, F. and Clijsters, H.: 1990b, ‘Effects of metals on enzyme activity in plants’, Plant Cell Environ., 13, 195–206.
Van Ranst, E., Verloo, M., Demeyer, A. and Pauwels, J. M.: 1999, Manual for the soil chemistry and fertility laboratory. Ghent University, Faculty Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, p. 243.
Vandecasteele, B., De Vos, B. and Tack, F. M. G.: 2002, ‘Heavy metal contents in surface soils along the Upper Scheldt river (Belgium) affected by historical upland disposal of dredged materials’, Sci. Total Environ. 290, 1–14.
Vangronsveld, J. and Clijsters, H.: 1992, ‘A biological test system for the evaluation of metal phytotoxicity and immobilization by additivs in metal-contaminated soils’, in: E. Merian and W. Haerdi (eds.) Metal Compounds in Environment and Life, 4 (Interrelation Between Chemistry and Biology), Science and Technology Letters, Northwood, 117–125.
Vangronsveld, J., Van Assche, F. and Clijsters, H.: 1995, ‘Reclamation of a bare industrial area contaminated by non-ferrous metals: in situ metal immobilization and revegetation’, Environ. Pollut. 87, 51–59.
Vangronsveld, J., Colpaert, J. and Van Tichelen, K.: 1996, ‘Reclamation of a bare industrial area contaminated by non-ferrous metals: physico-chemical and biological evaluation of the durability of soil treatment and revegetation’, Environ. Pollut. 94, 131–140.
Vlarebo: 1996, ‘Decree of the Flemish government of 5 march 1996 concerning the Flemish regulation on soil remediation’ (translated from Dutch), Belgisch Staatsblad–Moniteur Belge, 27.03.1996, (modified on repeated occasions, latest change Belgisch Staatsblad 5.08.2004).
Xiang, C. and Oliver, D. J.: 1998, ‘Gluthathione metabolic genes coordinately respond to heavy metals and jasmonic acid in Arabidopsis’, Plant Cell 10, 1539–1550.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Meers, E., Ruttens, A., Geebelen, W. et al. Potential Use of the Plant Antioxidant Network For Environmental Exposure Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soils. Environ Monit Assess 120, 243–267 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9059-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9059-7