Enhancing phytoremediative ability of Pisum sativum by EDTA application

The aim of our research was to demonstrate how the presence of EDTA affects resistance of pea plants to Pb and Pb-EDTA presence, and to show the effectivity of lead ions accumulation and translocation. It was determined that EDTA not only increased the amount of Pb taken up by plants but also Pb ion transport through the xylem and metal translocation from roots to stems and leaves. It can be seen in the presented research results that addition of the chelator with Pb limited metal phytotoxicity. We also demonstrated a significant effect of EDTA not only on Pb accumulation and metal transport to the aboveground parts but also on the profile and amount of thiol compounds: glutathione (GSH), homoglutathione (hGSH) or phytochelatins (PCs), synthesized by the plants. We observed a significant effect of the synthetic chelator on increasing the level of Pb accumulation in roots of plants treated with Pb including EDTA (0.5 and I mM). Pisum sativum plants treated only with I mM Pb(NO3)(2) accumulated over 50 mg Pb x g(-1) dry wt during 4 days of cultivation. Whereas in roots of pea plants exposed to Pb + 0.5 mM EDTA 35% more Ph was observed. When I mM EDTA was applied roots of pea accumulated over 67% more metal. The presence of EDTA also increased metal uptake and transport to the aboveground parts. In pea plants treated only with I mM lead nitrate less than 3 mg Pb x g-1 dry wt was transported, whereas in P. sativum treated with Pb-EDTA doubled amount of Pb was observed in stems and leaves. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.