Work

Arsenic uptake and speciation in the rootless duckweed Wolffia globosa

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: Duckweeds are a common macrophyte in paddy and aquatic environments. Here, we investigated arsenic (As) accumulation, speciation and tolerance of the rootless duckweed Wolffia globosa and its potential for As phytofiltration. When grown with 1 microm arsenate, W. globosa accumulated two to 10 times more As than four other duckweed or Azolla species tested. W. globosa was able to accumulate > 1000 mg As kg(-1) in frond dry weight (DW), and tolerate up to 400 mg As kg(-1) DW. At the low concentration range, uptake rate was similar for arsenate and arsenite, but at the high concentration range, arsenite was taken up at a faster rate. Arsenite was the predominant As species (c. 90% of the total extractable As) in both arsenate- and arsenite-exposed duckweed. W. globosa was more resistant to external arsenate than arsenite, but showed a similar degree of tolerance internally. W. globosa decreased arsenate in solution rapidly, but also effluxed arsenite. Wolffia globosa is a strong As accumulator and an interesting model plant to study As uptake and metabolism because of the lack of a root-to-frond translocation barrier.

Source: New Phytologist

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02758.x

Authors: Xin Zhang, Fang‐Jie Zhao, Qing Huang, Paul N. Williams, Guo‐Xin Sun, Yong‐Guan Zhu

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Institute of Urban Environment

Language: English

Topic: Arsenic contamination and mitigation

Subfield: Environmental Chemistry

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council