Emerging applications of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to assesses the phytoremediation potential and mineral nutrition aspects: Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis case studies

Abstract

Emerging applications of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to assesses the phytoremediation potential and mineral nutrition aspects: Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis case studies This work presents emerging applications of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in the forest science area. It is structured with an introductory chapter and two technical chapters. The second chapter brings a method that allows assesses the potential use of forest species in phytoremediation programs. The thirty chapter, there were assessed the seedlings elements use trends, in order to modeling the best fertilizer strategy. Finally, a chapter with the final considerations and the most important scientific advances discovered. In the chapter 2, there was proposed a fast method to assess the interactions between eucalypt shoots cultured in vitro exposed to different lead (Pb) doses. The method explores the shoots growth rate aspects, Pb tolerance, accumulation and mobility trends. Such as the interactions between Pb and essential elements in different shoots regions. As possible disturbances caused by the Pb added in the shoots mineral nutrition aspects. Thus, using less than 2 g of Pb it was possible to analyze 256 explants in vitro in a short period, in total 100 days. Therefore, the method brings important insights about the vegetal material tolerance, phytoextraction potential and possible mechanism used by the shoots in order to avoid the Pb phytotoxic effects. That allows select the best vegetal material available worldwide, therefore, can be included in emergence programs of soil and groundwater decontamination. The chapter 3 presents a fast and new method with allows investigated the internal elements use trends and its importance to the seedlings vegetative growth. Mapping target regions in the seedlings stem cross-sections, it was possible assesses the elements accumulation, transport and affinity. This new method shows crucial insights with allows understand the internal elements use processes. Indispensable feature to provide a better understanding about the seedlings mineral nutrition aspects. That can be used to model the best fertilizer use strategy in the nurseries worldwide. The XRF analysis have been widely used to reveal important internal process due its suitable applications. Allowing to perform analysis in different vegetal tissue in order to better understand the plants ability before ignored. Associated with other powerful methods available, as the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). It is still possible to perform several scientific advances in the forest, environmental and agronomic areas. In this context, the methods built can also be applied to improve the knowledge for several purposes. Such as the comparison between different genotypes, elements use efficiency, the occurrence of diseases providing vegetal materials with higher quality against possible anthropic disturbances worldwide. The methods also can enhance the food security production, removing potential toxic elements from agricultural areas and avoiding the over fertilization, respectively.