Lead, Zinc and Copper Accumulation and Tolerance in Populations of Paspalum Distichum and Cynodon Dactylon
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http://www.paper.edu.cn Environmental Pollution 120 (2002) 445–453 www.elsevier.com/locate/envpol Lead, zinc and copper accumulation and tolerance in populations of Paspalum distichum and Cynodon dactylon W.S. Shua, Z.H. Yeb, C.Y. Lana, Z.Q. Zhanga, M.H. Wongb,* aSchool of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou 510275, People’s Republic of China bInstitute for Natural Resources and Environmental Management, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Received 29 March 2001; accepted 28 December 2001 ‘‘Capsule’’: Metal-tolerant populations of the plants Paspalum distichum and Cunodon dactylon were identified. Abstract Both Fankou and Lechang lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) mine tailings located at Guangdong Province contained high levels of total and DTPA-extractable Pb, Zn and Cu. Paspalum distichum and Cynodon dactylon were dominant species colonized naturally on the tailings. Lead, zinc and copper accumulation and tolerance of different populations of the two grasses growing on the tailings were investigated. Tillers of these populations including those from an uncontaminated area were subjected to the following concentra- tions: 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg lÀ1 Pb, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg lÀ1 Zn, or 0.25, 0.50, 1 and 2 mg lÀ1 Cu for 14 days, respectively, then tolerance index (TI) and EC50 (the concentrations of metals in solutions which reduce 50% of normal root growth) were calculated. The results indicated that both Lechang and Fankou populations of the two grasses showed a greater tolerance to the three metals than those growing on the uncontaminated area, which suggested that co-tolerant ecotypes have evolved in the two grasses. P. distichum collected from Fankou tailings had the highest tolerance to Cu while Lechang population the highest tolerance to Pb and Zn among the tested populations, and tolerance levels in P. distichum were related to metal concentrations in the plants. P. dis- tichum had a better growth performance than C. dactylon when both of them were grown on the tailings sites. Tolerant populations of these species would serve as potential candidates for re-vegetation of wastelands contaminated with Pb, Zn and Cu. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Heavy metal; Tolerance; Accumulation; Paspalum distichum; Cynodon dactylon 1. Introduction (Baker, 1987). The ecology, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, evolutionary aspects of metal toler- Metal tolerance refers to specific individuals of a spe- ance in plants have been extensively studied (Baker and cies which are able to withstand greater amounts of Walker, 1990; Macnair, 1993; Ye et al., 1997a, b; Kar- toxicity than their immediate relatives on normal soil enlampi et al., 2000). The metal tolerant plant materials (Antonovics et al., 1971). Tolerance is therefore con- are not only of scientific interest, but they are also ferred by the possession of specific physiological adopted in several aspects of environmental protection, mechanisms which effectively enable it to function nor- such as revegetation of mined wastelands and phyto- mally even in the presence of high concentrations of remediation of lands polluted with heavy metals, for potential toxic elements (Baker, 1987). The phenom- long-term stabilization of wasteland surface and reduc- enon of heavy metal tolerance in plants has attracted tion of potentially toxic elements (Bradshaw and Chad- the interests of scientists for 50 years since the discovery wick, 1980; Raskin and Enseley, 2000; Terry and of Pb-tolerance of Agrostis tenuis grass (Bradshaw, Ban˜ uelos, 2000). Although some tolerant plant materi- 1952), and so far a substantial number of tolerant spe- als are now commercially available for restoration of cies or ecotypes have been identified around the world metalliferous wastelands, there has been continuous interest in searching for native tolerant plant materials * Corresponding author. Tel.: +852-2339-7050; fax: +852-2339- which adapt to local climatic conditions and are able 5995. to colonize metal-enriched soils for use in land recla- E-mail address: [email protected] (M.H. Wong). mation (Williamson et al., 1982; Sudhakar et al., 1992; 0269-7491/02/$ - see front matter # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0269-7491(02)00110-0 转载 中国科技论文在线 http://www.paper.edu.cn 446 W.S. Shu et al. / Environmental Pollution 120 (2002) 445–453 Archambault and Winterhalder, 1995; Wierzbicka, and the average annual precipitation is 1537 mm, with 1999; Monni et al., 2000). the rainfall season from March to August. Samples of Second only to agriculture, mining is one of the oldest P. distichum were collected from the waterlogged areas and most important industries in the world. Mining of Fankou and Lechang tailings ponds, respectively and activities, however, also produced greater volumes of samples of C. dactylon were collected from the dry area waste materials, such as tailings, overburden and waste of Lechang tailings pond. The Fankou and Lechang rocks. These waste materials frequently contain high tailings have been abandoned for 15 and 5 years concentrations of heavy metals (notably, Pb, Zn, Cu accordingly, at the time of sample collection. The con- and Cd) which are well above the toxic thresholds for trol populations for the two grasses were collected from most plants or which are at least high enough to restrict an uncontaminated pasture at the campus of Zhong- plant growth (Bradshaw and Chadwick, 1980). The shan University, Guangzhou, located approximately vegetation growing on tailings is subjected to a harsh 200 km south of Lechang and Fankou mine. P. dis- environment especially the various adverse edaphic fac- tichum generally grows on the edge of the pasture which tors besides the elevated heavy metals. Heavy metals is seasonally water-logged. Associated soil samples from can cause severe phytotoxic action, and may act as the study sites were also collected from rooting zone of powerful force for the evolution of tolerant populations. plants. There were four replicates for each tailings and It is easy to identify metal tolerant species from the soil sample. natural vegetation of metalliferous mine wastes (McNeilly and Bradshaw, 1968; Baker and Proctor, 2.2. Soil and plant analysis 1990; Wu, 1990). From 1995 to 1997, natural colonization of plants on Tailings and soil samples were air-dried for 7 days five Pb/Zn mine tailings including Fankou and Lechang until totally dry, and ground to pass through a 1-mm tailings in Guangdong Province; and Huangshaping, sieve. Paste pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were Shuikoushan and Taolin tailings in Hunan Province in measured using a pH meter and an EC meter accord- southern China was investigated. In general, the five ingly. Total [digested with concentrated HNO3 (16 tailings had high concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, M)+concentrated HClO4 (12 M), 5:1, v/v] and diethy- Zn, Cu and Cd), and low contents of N, P and organic lenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable Pb, matter (Shu, 1997). Toxic levels of heavy metals and Zn and Cu contents (tailings: DTPA, 1:2, w/v) were deficiency of major nutrients were the major constraints determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophot- on revegetation of these Pb/Zn tailings (Lan et al., 1997, ometry (AAS; Page et al., 1982). Plant samples were 1998; Shu et al., 1997). The natural colonization of washed with deionised water, divided into roots and plants on the five tailings was limited, with only some shoots, dried at 80 C for 24 h, and then milled to pass small patches distributed mainly on the edge of tailings, through a 2-mm mesh sieve, digested with concentrated and very few patches occurred at the center of tail- HNO3, and the contents of Pb, Zn and Cu in digestates ings. There were totally 54 species among 51 genera and were determined by AAS (Allen, 1989). 24 families recorded on the five tailings. Paspalum dis- tichum and Cynodon dactylon were the most common 2.3. Root elongation test and dominant ones, which indicated that these two grasses might have evolved heavy metal tolerance and Root elongations of tillers of the grasses collected have some potential use in revegetation of Pb/Zn tail- from three different sites were tested using the method ings (Shu, 1997). Therefore, the objectives of the present described by Wilkins (1957, 1978). Healthy tillers from experiment were to study: (1) whether populations of each population were selected and the roots were cut, these two species growing on Fankou and Lechang mine leaving the junction of root and the shaving stem intact. tailings have evolved metal tolerant ecotypes to Pb, Zn Six tillers of each population were placed in each 1000 and Cu; and (2) whether the degree of metal tolerance in ml beaker containing 500 ml of various aerated treat- À1 these two species were related to metal concentrations ment solutions: 500 mg l Ca(NO3)2 with Pb, Zn or Cu in plant tissues and/or associated substrata. ions in the form of Pb(NO3)2, ZnSO4 7H2O or CuSO4 5H2O, respectively. The working concentrations of the above metals were 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg lÀ1 Pb, 2.5, 5, 2. Materials and methods 10, 20 and 30 mg lÀ1 Zn and 0.25, 0.50, 1 and 2 mg lÀ1 Cu. Ca(NO3)2 was employed to reduce metal toxicity so 2.1. Sample collection that the working metal concentration could be increased (Wilkins, 1957, 1978). Both Fankou and Lechang Pb/Zn mines are located The tillers were kept under a natural 16 h/8 h (light/ at northern Guangdong Province, with a subtropical dark) cycle at temperature of 25Æ5 C. The solutions climate. The average annual air temperature is 14 C, were changed every three days to provide aeration and 中国科技论文在线 http://www.paper.edu.cn W.S.