Abstract
Lemna trisulca was grown in axenic cultures with regular replacement of a filter-sterilized medium. The effect of EDTA on the uptake and toxicity of Cd and Zn was examined using a two-way factorial design of varying Cd or Zn concentrations and available EDTA. When the level of available EDTA was in excess of the Cd or Zn concentration, uptake in Lemna trisulca was reduced by 96 to 99%, and correspondingly, multiplication rates were unaffected by elevated Cd or Zn concentrations. The proportion of EDTA available for chelating Cd and Zn was the amount of EDTA in excess of the Fe concentration. The antagonistic effect of the chelator EDTA suggests that, for L. trisulca, it is the free ion activity and not the total metal concentration which determines Cd and Zn uptake and toxicity.
Chelators are an essential component of a complete nutrient medium and should be included when measuring metal toxicity in aquatic plants, since Lemna trisulca grown without EDTA had low multiplication rates and appeared stunted and chlorotic. The chelator : Fe ratio, however, should be defined and controlled to avoid confounding the measurement of metal toxicity with metal-chelator interactions.
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Huebert, D.B., Shay, J.M. The effect of EDTA on cadmium and zinc uptake and toxicity in Lemna trisulca L.. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 22, 313–318 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212092
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212092