Arsenic reactions and brake fern (Pteris vittata L.) uptake in tropical soils

Citations Over Time

Abstract

In Hawaii, past use of arsenical pesticides has left elevated levels of arsenic (As) in some soils. Sorption isotherms of an Andosol and an Acrisol showed that the former required 1100 mg/kg, and the latter 300 mg/kg of added As to maintain 0.20 mg As/L in solution, the maximum allowable As level in streams/rivers in Hawaii. Greenhouse experiments were conducted on an Andosol (315 mg/kg total As), which was amended with 0, 5 g/kg compost, 5 g Fe/kg as amorphous Fe(OH)3, or 250 mg P/kg as Ca(H2PO4)2, and on a low-As (15 mg/kg) Acrisol, which was spiked with 0, 150 or 300 mg As/kg as Na2HAsO4.7 H2O. Brake fern (Pteris vittata L.) was used as the test plant. Arsenic concentration in the fern fronds averaged 355 mg/kg in the Andosol, and 2610 and 1270 mg/kg (from consecutive plantings, 2 and 12 months after As addition, respectively) in the Acrisol spiked with 300 mg/kg of As. Chemical reactions, as suggested by sequential extractions, likely controlled the availability and uptake of soil As. Mehlich-3 extraction could be used to identify As-contaminated soils and potential phytoremediation as it correlated well with bioaccessible As and with As in fern fronds.

Related Papers

• → Phytoremediation of an Arsenic-Contaminated Site UsingPteris vittataL.: A Two-Year Study(2006)131 cited
• → Arsenic accumulation by two brake ferns growing on an arsenic mine and their potential in phytoremediation(2005)136 cited
• → Tolerance of Heavy Metals in Vascular Plants: Arsenic Hyperaccumulation by Chinese Brake Fern (Pteris Vittata L.)(2003)44 cited
• → In vitro culture of Pteris vittata, an arsenic hyperaccumulating fern, for screening and propagating strains useful for phytoreme-diation(2007)8 cited
• → PIXE STUDY ON ARSENIC ACCUMULATION BY A FERN (PTERIS VITTATA)(2010)4 cited