EDTA ameliorates phytoextraction of lead and plant growth by reducing morphological and biochemical injuries in Brassica napus L. under lead stress

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 21; no. 16; pp. 9899 - 9910
• Main Authors: Kanwal, Urooj, Ali, Shafaqat, Shakoor, Muhammad Bilal, Farid, Mujahid, Hussain, Sabir, Yasmeen, Tahira, Adrees, Muhammad, Bharwana, Saima Aslam, Abbas, Farhat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2014; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Acidic soils; adverse effects; Agricultural research; Antioxidants; Aquatic Pollution; ascorbate peroxidase; Ascorbate Peroxidases - metabolism; Ascorbic acid; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomass; Brassica; Brassica napus; Brassica napus - drug effects; Brassica napus - enzymology; Brassica napus - growth & development; Brassica napus - metabolism; Carotenoids; catalase; Catalase - metabolism; chelating agents; Chelating Agents - pharmacology; Chlorophyll; Chlorophyll - metabolism; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Edetic acid; Edetic Acid - pharmacology; EDTA (chelating agent); Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Enzymes; Experiments; Gas exchange; Guaiacol; Heavy metals; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen Peroxide - metabolism; Hydroponics; L-Ascorbate peroxidase; Lead; Lead - metabolism; Lead - toxicity; Lead content; malondialdehyde; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Metals; Morphology; Nitrates; peroxidase; Peroxidase - metabolism; phytoremediation; Plant growth; Pollutants; polluted soils; Polymers; Rape plants; Research Article; roots; Seedlings; Seeds; shoots; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Soil pollution; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Toxicity; Toxicity tolerance; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Lead; L; EDTA; Toxicity; Antioxidant enzymes activities; Phytoextraction
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3001-x

Brassica species are very effective in remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites. Lead (Pb) as a toxic pollutant causes number of morphological and biochemical variations in the plants. Synthetic chelator such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) improves the capability of plants to uptake heavy metals from polluted soil. In this regard, the role of EDTA in phytoextraction of lead, the seedlings of Brassica napus L. were grown hydroponically. Lead levels (50 and 100 μM) were supplied alone or together with 2.5 mM EDTA in the nutrient culture. After 7 weeks of stress, plants indicated that toxicity of Pb caused negative effects on plants and significantly reduced growth, biomass, chlorophyll content, gas exchange characteristics, and antioxidant enzymes activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT). Exposure to Pb induced the malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generation in both shoots and roots. The addition of EDTA alone or in combination with Pb significantly improved the plant growth, biomass, gas exchange characteristics, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzymes activities. EDTA also caused substantial improvement in Pb accumulation in Brassica plants. It can be deduced that application of EDTA significantly lessened the adverse effects of lead toxicity. Additionally, B. napus L. exhibited greater degree of tolerance against Pb toxicity and it also accumulated significant concentration of Pb from media.