Impact of NaCl Solution Pretreatment on Plant Growth and the Uptake of Multi-heavy Metal by the Model Plant Arabidopsis thaliana

Cadmium and lead are some of several heavy metals that present a great concern for the environment because even in non-toxic concentrations for plants, their toxicity can affect animals and humans. Three different concentrations of sodium chloride solution were employed as pretreatment agents in order to increase the bioavailability of heavy metals and to analyze the interaction between heavy metals under saline soil conditions. The biomass production presented a remarkable increase for plants grown in soil pretreated with a 0.3 M NaCl solution, whereas the growth curve response of Arabidopsis thaliana in all samples showed a clear alteration compared with the control system. The conclusion was reached that saline solution pretreatment used in soil containing heavy metals produced an apparent stimulation of plant growth. In regards to the uptake of heavy metals by plants, lead and especially cadmium were the most favored metals by NaCl application.