Domingo Martínez-Fernández

Exposure of engineered nanomaterials to plants: Insights into the physiological and biochemical responses-A review.

Recent investigations show that carbon-based and metal-based engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), components of consumer goods and agricultural products, have the potential to build up in sediments and biosolid-amended agricultural soils. In addition, reports indicate that both carbon-based and metal-based ENMs affect plants differently at the physiological, biochemical, nutritional, and genetic levels. The toxicity threshold is species-dependent and responses to ENMs are driven by a series of factors including the nanomaterial characteristics and environmental conditions. Effects on the growth, physiological and biochemical traits, production and food quality, among others, have been reported. However, a complete understanding of the dynamics of interactions between plants and ENMs is not clear enough yet. This review presents recent publications on the physiological and biochemical effects that commercial carbon-based and metal-based ENMs have in terrestrial plants. This document focuses on crop plants because of their relevance in human nutrition and health. We have summarized the mechanisms of interaction between plants and ENMs as well as identified gaps in knowledge for future investigations.

The use of a halophytic plant species and organic amendments for the remediation of a trace elements-contaminated soil under semi-arid conditions.

The halophytic shrub Atriplex halimus L. was used in a field phytoremediation experiment in a semi-arid area highly contaminated by trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) within the Sierra Minera of La Unión-Cartagena (SE Spain). The effects of compost and pig slurry on soil conditions and plant growth were determined. The amendments (particularly compost) only slightly affected trace element concentrations in soil pore water or their availability to the plants, increased soil nutrient and organic matter levels and favoured the development of a sustainable soil microbial biomass (effects that were enhanced by the presence of A. halimus) as well as, especially for slurry, increasing A. halimus biomass and ground cover. With regard to the minimisation of trace elements concentrations in the above-ground plant parts, the effectiveness of both amendments was greatest 12-16 months after their incorporation. The findings demonstrate the potential of A. halimus, particularly in combination with an organic amendment, for the challenging task of the phytostabilisation of contaminated soils in (semi-)arid areas and suggest the need for an ecotoxicological evaluation of the remediated soils. However, the ability of A. halimus to accumulate Zn and Cd in the shoot may limit its use to moderately-contaminated sites.

The use of olive-mill waste compost to promote the plant vegetation cover in a trace-element-contaminated soil.

The applicability of a mature compost as a soil amendment to promote the growth of native species for the phytorestoration of a mine-affected soil from a semi-arid area (SE Spain), contaminated with trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn), was evaluated in a 2-year field experiment. The effects of an inorganic fertiliser were also determined for comparison. Bituminaria bituminosa was the selected native plant since it is a leguminous species adapted to the particular local pedoclimatic conditions. Compost addition increased total organic-C concentrations in soil with respect to the control and fertiliser treatments, maintained elevated available P concentrations throughout the duration of the experiment and stimulated soil microbial biomass, while trace elements extractability in the soil was rather low due to the calcareous nature of the soil and almost unaltered in the different treatments. Tissue concentrations of P and K in B. bituminosa increased after the addition of compost, associated with growth stimulation. Leaf Cu concentration was also increased by the amendments, although overall the trace elements concentrations can be considered non-toxic. In addition, the spontaneous colonisation of the plots by a total of 29 species of 15 different families at the end of the experiment produced a greater vegetation cover, especially in plots amended with compost. Therefore, the use of compost as a soil amendment appears to be useful for the promotion of a vegetation cover and the phytostabilisation of moderately contaminated soils under semi-arid conditions.

The Effects of Soil Amendments on the Growth of Atriplex halimus and Bituminaria bituminosa in Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils

In Southern Spain, as in other semi-arid zones, plants used for the phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites must be able to withstand not only the challenging soil conditions but also seasonal drought and high temperatures. A pot assay was carried out to determine the ability of soil amendments to promote the survival and growth of the seedlings of two native species, Atriplex halimus L. (Amaranthaceae) and Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirton (Fabaceae), in two heavy metal-contaminated soils, one of which also had a high level of arsenic (As). Restriction of A. halimus shoot growth in the non-amended soils appeared to be due to deficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and in the more highly contaminated soil to lead (Pb) toxicity. Shoot biomass of A. halimus in the more highly contaminated soil was increased significantly by compost addition, due to increased uptake of K and P and decreased tissue Pb. The lack of effect of compost on B. bituminosa growth in this soil, despite a large increase in tissue K, may have been due to elevated tissue levels of As and Pb and the high soil salinity. The combination of A. halimus and compost addition seems appropriate for the phytostabilisation of contaminated semi-arid sites.

Accumulation of furanocoumarins by Bituminaria bituminosa in relation to plant development and environmental stress

Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirton (Fabaceae) accumulates high concentrations of the furanocoumarins (FCs) angelicin and psoralen, which protect against infection and herbivory. The effects on FC accumulation of the exposure of two populations of B. bituminosa to abiotic stress (cold, heat and drought) under field conditions were determined, as well as the effect of temperature under controlled conditions, in hydroponic culture. In field conditions, psoralen and angelicin levels in the leaf dry matter were 400-6000 and 1500-11,000 μg g(-), respectively. There were significant effects of population on the psoralen concentration and psoralen:angelicin ratio. In hydroponic culture, exposure to a diurnal temperature of 33 °C increased FC levels in population Calnegre but not in Llano del Beal, compared with plants grown at 22 °C; however, high summer temperatures in the field (>30 °C) did not coincide with the highest leaf FC levels, since the plants accumulated FCs preferentially in the fruits. Hence, leaf FC levels were higher in winter. Irrigation, to alleviate water stress in the semi-arid conditions, increased the fruit psoralen concentration but produced only minor decreases in leaf FC levels. There was a significant, positive correlation (P < 0.001) between the FC and nitrogen concentrations in the plant organs analysed (both increased in the order: fruits > growing leaves > mature leaves), reflecting their respective contributions to plant fitness. The genetically- and developmentally-regulated accumulation of FCs by B. bituminosa is altered by short-term variations in environmental conditions, particularly temperature.

Trace elements and nutrients adsorption onto nano-maghemite in a contaminated-soil solution: A geochemical/statistical approach

Two experiments were carried out to study the competition for adsorption between trace elements (TEs) and nutrients following the application of nano-maghemite (NM) (iron nano-oxide; Fe2O3) to a soil solution (the 0.01molL(-1) CaCl2 extract of a TEs-contaminated soil). In the first, the nutrients K, N, and P were added to create a set of combinations: potential availability of TEs during their interaction with NM and nutrients were studied. In the second, response surface methodology was used to develop predictive models by central composite design (CCD) for competition between TEs and the nutrients K and N for adsorption onto NM. The addition of NM to the soil solution reduced specifically the concentrations of available As and Cd, but the TE-adsorption capacity of NM decreased as the P concentration increased. The CCD provided more concise and valuable information, appropriate to estimate the behavior of NM sequestering TEs: according to the suggested models, K(+) and NH4(+) were important factors for Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, and Zn adsorption (Radj(2)=95%, except for Zn with Radj(2)=87%). The obtained information and models can be used to predict the effectiveness of NM for the stabilization of TEs, crucial during the phytoremediation of contaminated soils.

Phytoextraction of Metals: Modeling Root Metal Uptake and Associated Processes

Because the efficiency of phytoextraction processes is still questionable, various mechanistic and empirical models are needed to better evaluate the suitability of the method. This chapter discusses different aspects of such modeling. First, models predicting the transport of metals and metalloids in the soils and in the roots are presented and discussed in accordance with well-known mechanisms of metal uptake. Because metal (and metalloid) uptake greatly depends on their speciation in the soil solution, several geochemical models providing such information are presented here. This chapter provides an in-depth overview of those models; however, their combination (geochemical, transport, empirical, etc.) will be crucial in order to obtain a robust and transferable model of metal/metalloid uptake and phytoextraction.

Engineered Nanomaterials for Phytoremediation of Metal/Metalloid-Contaminated Soils: Implications for Plant Physiology

Nanomaterials, including engineered nano-sized iron oxides, manganese oxides, cerium oxides, titanium oxides, or zinc oxides, provide specific affinity for metal/metalloids adsorption and their application is being rapidly extended for environmental management. Their significant surface area, high number of active surface sites, and high adsorption capacities make them very promising as cost-effective amendments for the remediation of contaminated soils. The alleviation of the toxicities of metal/metalloids by their immobilization in the soil stimulates the growth and development of plants during phytoremediation, but there is a body of evidence indicating that nanomaterials themselves can yield both beneficial and harmful effects in plant systems at the physiological, biochemical, nutritional, and genetic levels. Nanoecotoxicological studies are providing a good understanding of their interactions with plants, and an increasing number of publications have attempted to clarify and quantify their potential risks and consequences for plants. However, many results are contradictory and the safety of engineered nanomaterials still represents a barrier to their wide, innovative use in phytoremediation. Both their positive and negative effects on plants will have to be taken into account to evaluate their applicability, and the scientific community faces a challenge to understand deeply the factors which can determine their relevance in environmental science and technology.

Response of Piptatherum miliaceum to co-culture with a legume species for the phytostabilisation of trace elements contaminated soils

PurposeThe presence of high concentrations of trace elements (TEs) in mine soils like those in the Sierra Minera of La Unión-Cartagena (SE Spain) limits the development of a vegetation cover on such sites, and pollution dispersion by water and wind erosion represents a serious risk for the surrounding ecosystems. The aim of this study was to evaluate different phytostabilisation procedures based on the co-culture of a legume (Bituminaria bituminosa) and a high-biomass (Piptatherum miliaceum) species for this type of soils.Materials and methodsA pot experiment was carried out where B. bituminosa was tested as a soil pre-treatment strategy. Five different procedures were followed to study the growth stimulation or competition of both species in a contaminated soil from the Sierra Minera: (i) sowing of P. miliaceum without B. bituminosa (control treatment), (ii) sowing of P. miliaceum for co-cultivation of both species, (iii) sowing of P. miliaceum and co-cultivation of both species in soil with compost, (iv) harvesting and elimination of the aerial part of the plants before sowing of P. miliaceum and (v) harvesting and incorporation to the soil of the aerial part of B. bituminosa before sowing of P. miliaceum.Results and discussionThe results showed that the co-culture of both species favoured the growth of P. miliaceum, whilst incorporating the aerial part of the legume to the soil increased nitrogen concentration in P. miliaceum but reduced its growth. The use of compost improved both the growth and N uptake of P. miliaceum and did not inhibit nodulation in B. bituminosa. TE extractability in the soils and accumulation in the plants were rather low and very little affected by the addition of the amendments or by co-culture of species.ConclusionsNitrogen availability plays an important role in P. miliaceum growth in TE-contaminated mine soils. The addition of compost together with legume cultivation is proposed as an effective combination for the cultivation of P. miliaceum in these soils, as both plant growth and soil conditions were improved following this procedure.