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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 5(6)

Tolerance of two perennial grasses to toxic levels of Ni2+

Peter. M. Kopittke A B C , Colin. J. Asher A , F. Pax. C. Blamey A B and Neal. W. Menzies A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A The University of Queensland, School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, St. Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

B Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: p.kopittke@uq.edu.au

Environmental Chemistry 5(6) 426-434 https://doi.org/10.1071/EN08054
Submitted: 13 August 2008  Accepted: 23 October 2008   Published: 18 December 2008

Environmental context. Nickel (Ni) may be present in soil at phytotoxic levels as a result of weathering of ultramafic (serpentine) minerals or activities such as mining and metal ore processing. We assessed the tolerance of two grasses to excess Ni and used electron microscopy to examine the distribution of the Ni within the root tissue. This study provides information on the influence of excess Ni on the growth of these two grasses with consideration to their suitability for the revegetation of areas contaminated with Ni.

Abstract. Toxic effects of Nickel (Ni) in solution were evaluated in signal grass and Rhodes grass, two species commonly used for the revegetation of contaminated sites in the tropics and sub-tropics. Both grasses had a similar response to Ni, a Ni2+ activity ({Ni2+}) of 14 × 10–6 M, which reduced the fresh mass by 50%. The sub-cellular distribution of Ni in the roots was similar for both species, with Ni accumulating primarily as particles <5 nm in the vacuoles of rhizodermal and outer cortical cells. The reduction in growth at elevated {Ni2+} caused a loss of apical dominance in the roots and a Ni-induced Fe deficiency in the shoots. Root hair growth was not reduced by Ni2+ toxicity and was prolific even at the highest {Ni2+} (35 × 10–6 M). The translocation of Ni to the plant tops of both grasses resulted in concentrations that exceeded the guidelines for Ni toxicity to grazing animals (100 μg g–1) when grown with ≥11 × 10–6 M {Ni2+} in solution.

Additional keywords: Ni distribution, Ni phytotoxicity, shoot and root growth, symptoms.


Acknowledgements

Rick Webb, Robyn Webb and Dr Kim Sewell from the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis at The University of Queensland are acknowledged for their assistance with the electron microscopy. The authors also thank Rosemary Kopittke for statistical assistance and Associate Professor Stephen Adkins for the use of the dissecting microscope. This research was funded through CRC-CARE Project 3-3-01-05/6.


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