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Metal translocation patterns in Solanum melongena grown in close proximity to traffic

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine tissue patterns of metal (Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb) concentrations in Solanum melongena cultivated in close proximity to traffic to help elucidate associated elemental deposition and soil-to-root and root-to-shoot transfers. Plants were cultivated in a commercial soil mix at three sites in Toronto, Canada. Metal concentrations were determined on microwave-digested bulk and rhizosphere soil and tissue samples per ICP-MS, along with two standard reference materials (NIST #1570a and #2709a). Unwashed and washed S. melongena samples were also analyzed, along with Origanum vulgare plants from the same sites, to assess the effectiveness of washing in reducing metal concentrations. The tissue distribution of Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb demonstrated variability as a function of traffic proximity. Copper was found to easily translocate to roots in soils susceptible to waterlogging, while Cd had the highest soil-to-root and root-to-shoot translocation. The translocation of Cd was highest at the roadside site, due to a greater relative enrichment of this metal in the rhizosphere of S. melongena plants. Washing O. vulgare leaves was more effective in removing metal-associated particles compared to S. melongena samples. Cadmium uptake is of greatest concern given its toxicity and translocation potential.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially funded through a seed grant award from the Centre for Urban Health Initiatives, University of Toronto. We thank Claudia Christ (Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences) and H. Thiemeyer, Doris Bergmann-Dörr, and Dagmar Schneider (Institute of Physical Geography) J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany for their help and support. Many thanks also go to Foodshare and Blake Poland (University of Toronto) and Cheryl Teelucksingh (Ryerson University) for their support as leaders of the Environmental Health Justice Research Interest Group, University of Toronto.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Clare L. S. Wiseman

  2. Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany

    Fathi Zereini & Wilhelm Püttmann

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  1. Clare L. S. Wiseman
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  2. Fathi Zereini
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  3. Wilhelm Püttmann
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Correspondence to Clare L. S. Wiseman.

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Responsible editor: Elena Maestri

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Wiseman, C.L.S., Zereini, F. & Püttmann, W. Metal translocation patterns in Solanum melongena grown in close proximity to traffic. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 1572–1581 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2039-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2039-5

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