International audience | In order to reduce the health risks associated with historically enriched metal smelting sites in Flanders (Belgium), the capacities of a non-beringite cyclonic ash and commercial Na-silicates to fix metals and create conditions to restore vegetation cover were evaluated and compared to lime and H3PO4. All tested amendments reduced Ca(NO3)2-extractable soil metal concentrations and reduced metal uptake in Agrostis capillaris seedlings. Sodium released by Na-silicates was possibly toxic to bean plants while an isotopic dilution technique revealed that metals were only weakly sorbed by silicates (i.e. reversible sorption). Cyclonic ash appeared more efficient than lime in both reducing oxidative stress in beans and Zn, Cu and Pb uptake in grasses. The metal fixing mechanism for both amendments appeared similar (i.e. irreversible fixation at constant pH), in contrast to H3PO4 where at least part of the immobilised Cd was irreversibly fixed across a range of pH

International audience | The potential use of a metal-tolerant sunflower mutant line for biomonitoring Cu phytoavailability, Cu-induced soil phytotoxicity, and Cu phytoextraction was assessed on a Cu-contaminated soil series (13–1020 mg Cu kg−1) obtained by fading a sandy topsoil from a wood preservation site with a similar uncontaminated soil. Morphological and functional plant responses as well as shoot, leaf, and root ionomes were measured after a 1-month pot experiment. Hypocotyl length, shoot and root dry weight (DW) yields, and leaf area gradually decreased as soil Cu exposure rose. Their dose-response curves (DRC) plotted against indicators of Cu exposure were generally well fitted by sigmoidal curves. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) of morphological parameters ranged between 203 and 333 mg Cu kg−1 soil, corresponding to 290–430 μg Cu L−1 in the soil pore water, and 20 ± 5 mg Cu kg−1 DW in the shoots. The EC10 for shoot Cu concentration (13–15 mg Cu kg−1 DW) coincided to 166 mg Cu kg−1 soil. Total chlorophyll content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were early biomarkers (EC10: 23 and 51 mg Cu kg−1 soil). Their DRC displayed a biphasic response. Photosynthetic pigment contents, e.g., carotenoids, correlated with TAC. Ionome was changed in Cu-stressed roots, shoots, and leaves. Shoot Cu removal peaked roughly at 280 μg Cu L−1 in the soil pore water.

The large-scale use of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in medicines or disinfectants can lead to their release into the environment, posing a potential risk to organisms. This study examined the effects of three typical QACs, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), dodecyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (DBAC), and didodecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), on hydroponically cultured wheat seedlings. After 14 days of exposure, both hormesis and phytotoxicity were observed in the wheat seedlings. The shoot and root fresh weight gradually increased as QAC concentrations rose from 0.05 to 0.8 mg L-1. However, higher QAC concentrations severely inhibited plant growth by decreasing shoot and root fresh weight, total root length, and photosynthetic pigment content. Moreover, the increase in malondialdehyde and O-2(.-) contents, as well as root membrane permeability, reflected an oxidative burst and membrane lipid peroxidation caused by QACs. However, the effects of QACs on the levels of these oxidative stress markers were compound-specific, and the changes in superoxide dismutase, peroxidases, and catalase activity were partly related to reactive oxygen species levels. Considering the order of median effective concentration values (EC50) and the levels of oxidative stress induced by the three tested QACs, their phytotoxicities in wheat seedlings increased in the following order: DDAC < DTAC < DBAC, which mainly depended on their characteristics and applied concentrations. These results, which illustrated the complexity of QAC toxicity to plants, could potentially be used to assess the risk posed by these compounds in the environment.