Enhancement of metal(loid)s phytoextraction by Cannabis sativa L.

Petrová Š., Benešová D., Soudek P., Vaněk T.
JOURNAL OF FOOD AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT 10 [1] : 631-641, 2012

Keywords: Phytoextraction, chelate, glutathione, Cannabis sativa L., metal.
Abstract: The key factor for the phytoextraction efficiency is bioavailability of extracted element. Mobility and bioavailability of metal(loid)s is affected by numerous soil factors. To improve the metal(loid)s accumulation capacities, the addition of chelating agents has been proposed. The objectives of this research was to investigate the ability of different chelating agents (EDTA, humic substances) and glutathione to enhance the metal(loid)s phytoextraction by four Cannabis sativa L. cultivars. Our results showed that metal(loid)s accumulation in plants increased with increasing concentration of metal(loid)s in growing solution; although, the metal distribution in plant parts was various. Generally, all metal(loid)s were accumulated mainly in roots except arsenic that was detected primarily in shoots. However, our results showed that metal(loid)s accumulation depended on chosen cultivar and there was no existing strategy for metal detoxification in C.sativa. Tested chelates enhanced the transfer from roots to shoots. Assuming that EDTA had a positive effect on the metal(loid)s mobility, a larger amount of metal(loid)s is taken up and translocated to the shoots, while an effect of humic substances wasn’t statistically proved. Nevertheless, glutathione application increased metal(loid)s accumulation in roots. C.sativa plants demonstrated to possess the ability to transfer arsenic, cadmium, copper and zinc from root to shoot, one of the criteria that must be met to consider a plant well suited for phytoextraction.
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IEB authors: Šárka Petrová, Petr Soudek, Tomáš Vaněk