Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
Volume 75, Issue -, Pages 16-24Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2011.08.013
Keywords
Mercury; Uptake; Alfalfa; Nitrogen fertilization; Oxidative stress
Categories
Funding
- Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [CTM2005-04809/TECNO-REUSA, AGL2010-15151-PROBIOMET]
- Fundacion Ramon Areces
- Comunidad de Madrid [EIADES S2009/AMB-1478]
- Junta Comunidades Castilla-La Mancha [FITOALMA2, POII10-0087-6458]
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The mineral nutrition status of plants might affect the accumulation of heavy metals, which in turn could be reflected in altered plant sensitivity. Very little information is available about the effect of the nitrogen nutritional status on mercury (Hg) toxicity. We compared physiological stress parameters sensitive to Hg in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants grown in Hg-polluted soils that were amended with two different fertilizers: without NO3- (PK) or with NO3- (NPK). Several parameters of oxidative stress, such as antioxidative enzymatic activities, lipid peroxidation, and chlorophyll content were analysed. The study was carried out in a green house with soil from an agricultural land plot located in Almaden (Spain), which contained an average Hg concentration of 12.4 mg kg(-1), most of it found mainly as cinnabar (HgS). Our results suggest that nitrogen supply prevents oxidative stress in roots, but may improve root development and increase the uptake of Hg from the soil above safety consumption limits. This work highlights the importance of proper nitrogen fertilization towards future phytoremediation applications with alfalfa plants. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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