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Influence of Nutrient Levels on Uptake and Effects of Mercury, Cadmium, and Lead in Water Spinach
Author(s) -
Göthberg Agneta,
Greger Maria,
Holm Karin,
Bengtsson BengtErik
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2004.1247
Subject(s) - spinach , cadmium , nutrient , mercury (programming language) , aquatic plant , environmental chemistry , chemistry , pollutant , ipomoea aquatica , metal , phytoremediation , shoot , metal toxicity , agronomy , macrophyte , botany , heavy metals , biology , ecology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
In Southeast Asia the aquatic macrophyte water spinach ( Ipomoea aquatica Forsk.) is a popular vegetable that is cultivated in freshwater courses. These often serve as recipients for domestic and other sorts of wastewater that often contain a variety of pollutants, such as heavy metals. In addition, fertilizers are frequently used where water spinach is cultivated commercially for the food market. To estimate the importance of ambient nutrient concentrations for accumulation of mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in water spinach, plants were exposed to nutrient solutions of different strength and with varying metal concentrations. Metal‐induced toxic effects, which might possibly affect the yield of the plants, were also studied. The lower the nutrient strength in the medium was, the higher the metal concentrations that accumulated in the different plant parts and the lower the metal concentration in the medium at which metal‐induced toxic effects occurred. Accordingly, internal metal concentrations in the plants were correlated to toxic effects. Plants exposed to metals retained a major proportion of the metals in the roots, which had a higher tolerance than shoots for high internal metal concentrations.