Growth, gas exchange, and leaf anatomy of Echinodorus grandiflorus (Cham. & Schltr.) Micheli under Pb contamination

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 31; no. 28; pp. 41059 - 41068
• Main Authors: Ribeiro, Estefânia Santos, Pereira, Marcio Paulo, de Castro, Evaristo Mauro, de Resende Baroni, Gabriel, Duarte, Vinícius Politi, de Pádua, Maxwell Pereira, Pereira, Fabricio José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anatomy; Aquatic environment; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; chlorophyll; Contamination; Earth and Environmental Science; Echinodorus; Echinodorus grandiflorus; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Epidermis; Gas exchange; greenhouses; Lead; leaf anatomy; Leaves; mortality; Nutrient concentrations; nutrient solutions; Parenchyma; Photosynthesis; Plant anatomy; Plants; Plants (botany); pollutants; pollution; Research Article; Sewage; Sewage disposal; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Transpiration; Waste Water Technology; wastewater; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Metallophytes; Aquatic macrophytes; Potentially toxic elements; Phytoremediation
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33851-4

Lead (Pb) can be deposited in aquatic environments that are especially subject to pollution due to wastewater and sewage disposal. This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance of Echinodorus grandiflorus (Cham. & Schltr.) Micheli to Pb and changes in growth, gas exchange, and leaf anatomy. Experiments were conducted with E. grandiflorus plants exposed to the following Pb concentrations in nutrient solution: [0; 0.75; 1.5; 3.0 and 9.0 μM Pb (NO 3 ) 2 ] in a greenhouse for 60 days. At the end of the experiment, the lead concentration, growth, leaf gas exchange, and changes in leaf anatomy were evaluated. There was no mortality of E. grandiflorus plants, and they accumulated higher concentrations of Pb proportional to the concentration of the pollutant in the solution. Pb did not cause significant changes in growth, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and C i /C a rate but reduced the photosynthesis in E. grandiflorus . The leaf anatomy showed significant changes in the presence of Pb, reducing the epidermis and chlorophyll parenchyma. E. grandiflorus demonstrated tolerance to Pb, surviving and growing under contamination; however, it negatively modified its leaf anatomy and photosynthesis in the presence of the metal.