Coupling bioaccumulation and phytotoxicity to predict copper removal by switchgrass grown hydroponically.

Kai-Wei Juang; Hung-Yu Lai; Bo-Ching Chen

major challenge in phytoextraction is to increase plants' removal rates of metals from contaminated soils. In this study, we developed a phytoextraction model, by coupling a saturable Michaelis-Menten type accumulation model and an energy-based toxicity model, to predict copper (Cu) removal by switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) grown hydroponically under various exposure concentrations. Results of the present study indicated that the phytotoxicity of Cu to switchgrass is relatively low, whereas a certain accumulation capacity exists in the plant for Cu. In addition, the simulation results suggested that, under a lower dissolved concentration, Cu removal is increased more efficiently as the exposure duration increases. Although it is difficult to extrapolate the results from greenhouse-based hydroponic experiments to field conditions, we believe that the current methodology can offer a first approximation in predicting the phytoextraction duration needed for plant species to remove a specific metal from contaminated sites, which is crucial in evaluating the economic costs for remediation purposes.

BIOACCUMULATION; PHYTOTOXICITY; SOIL pollution; COPPER; HYDROPONICS; SWITCHGRASS; PLANT health

Ecotoxicology, 2011, Vol 20, Issue 4, p827

0963-9292

Academic Journal

10.1007/s10646-011-0635-z