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Metals can accumulate in different parts of plant species in high concentrations, which gives the basis for the plant-based technology called phytoremediation. Among annual species, Amaranthus is a well-studied, potential metal accumulator genus; however, some conflicts are found among published results. Thus, we studied the metal (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) accumulation potential of Amaranthus plant parts (root, stem, and leaf) by meta-analysis, furthermore, by calculation of bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values. After the extensive literature search and the calculation of relative interaction intensity (RII) values, we found significant accumulation for each metal by Amaranthus individuals growing on contaminated soils compared to plants collected from uncontaminated ones. Differences among plant parts were significant for Cu and Fe, minor for Ni, Pb, and Zn, and negligible for Cd. The BAF values indicated high accumulation in the leaf, moderate in root and stem for Cd, moderate in each plant part for Pb, and very low in each plant part for Fe, Ni, and Zn. We highlight that Amaranthus species are good prospects for metal phytoremediation projects, although, due to specific plant part-metal patterns, special attention should be paid to the harvesting practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining activity is one of the main sources to pollute soil, water and plants. An analysis of soil and plant samples around the Atrevida mining area in Catalonia (NE Spain) was preformed to determine potentially harmful elements (PHEs). Soil and plant samples were taken at eight locations around the mining area. The topsoil (0–15 cm) samples were analysed for physico-chemical properties by standard methods, by ICP-MS for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, and were microwave-digested. Plant, root and shoot samples were digested separately, and heavy metals were analysed by AAS. Translocation factor (TF), biological concentration factor (BCF) and biological accumulation factor (BAF) were determined to assess the tolerance strategies developed by native species and to evaluate their potential for phytoremediation purposes. Soil pH was generally acid (5.48–6.72), with high soil organic matter (SOM) content and a sandy loamy or loamy texture. According to the agricultural soil values in southern Europe, our PHEs concentrations exceeded the toxicity thresholds. The highest root content of the most studied PHEs appeared in Thymus vulgaris L. and Festuca ovina L., while Biscutella laevigata L. accumulated more PHEs in shoots. The TF values were > 1 in B. laevigata L., but BAF obtained < 1, except Pb. B. laevigata L., and can be considered potentially useful for phytoremediation for having the capacity to restrict the accumulation of large PHEs amounts in roots and Pb translocation to shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is known to serve as a significant sink for heavy metals in coal mine sites, thus also influence the plant and other organisms of that area. Hence, the presence of heavy metals in coal mine soil is of concern to land managers. Insects occupy different trophic positions in the food chains, thus many insect species accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in their bodies and this is a matter of concern. In the present study, we investigated biotransfer and bioaccumulation of heavy metals from soil, grass species Cynodon dactylon, Vetiveria zizanioides, grasshopper species Gastrimargus africanus, Choroedocus robustus, ant species Cataglyphis longipedem and Camponotus compressus in six different ages (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 year old) of coal mine sites. Our study revealed that at some extent the heavy metal content and BAF patterns of heavy metals along different pathways (from soil to grass, soil to grasshoppers and from grass to grasshoppers) were not consistent and did not reflect the soil pollution status for all the metals, related to the mine spoil dump age. However, in contrast, ants successfully reflected a consistent pattern in the bioaccumulation of heavy metals via soil, thereby indicating the pollution status of the soil along with the restoration age of mine spoil dumps. Our study showed that ant species can successfully forecast the presence of heavy metals of coal mine spoils along with their restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality implemented a paired surface water and fish tissue data collection program to derive a state‐specific bioaccumulation factor (BAF) for inorganic arsenic (iAs) as part of the development of new human health water quality criteria (HHWQC). No statistically significant relationship was found between total arsenic (tAs) or iAs in surface water and fish tissue. Fish body weight was the only parameter with a statistically significant effect on iAs concentration in fish tissue. The ratio of iAs to tAs in fish tissue declined significantly with both increasing trophic level and increasing body weight. The decrease in iAs concentration in fish tissue with increasing size and trophic level as well as the decrease in the proportion of tAs that is iAs with increasing trophic level are likely the result of metabolic transformation of iAs to organic As by organisms in each level of the aquatic food web. Although the linear regression–based BAF using the Idaho paired fish and water data best predicted observed iAs fish tissue concentrations compared to several alternative BAFs, it was not statistically significant (p < 0.05) and was a poor predictor (R2 = 0.01) of iAs concentrations in fish tissue. These results illustrate that iAs, and possibly other metals, in the natural environment do not conform with commonly used bioaccumulation models and the paradigm used by the US Environmental Protection Agency for determining HHWQC. These results indicate that modifications to the paradigm are necessary, such as a fish tissue criterion as Idaho has proposed, to assure that public health is protected. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1542–1552. © 2023 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals (HMs) have the characteristics of high toxicity, long residual time, and difficult degradation, which pose a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems. The distribution and migration of HMs in different media can reflect their potential impact on aquatic ecosystem health. In this study, we analyzed the distribution characteristics of seven HMs (Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Hg, As, and Pb) in the water and sediment and five groups of organisms (fish, Crustacean, cephalopod, bivalvia, and gastropoda) in the sea ranching area of Haizhou Bay and explored the regularity of HM accumulation from water and sediments to organisms. The results showed that in the water, Zn and Hg had the smallest concentrations in the nearshore area, Cr had the lowest concentrations in the offshore area, and As, Cu, Pb, and Ni had the lowest concentrations in the central area. In the sediment, Hg had the smallest concentrations in the nearshore area and As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn had the lowest concentrations in the offshore area; the average contents of seven heavy metals all meet the Class I standard of sediments in China. The concentrations of Cu and Zn in crustaceans were significantly higher than those in fishes (p < 0.05), and As showed a higher enrichment effect in cephalopods. Under the influence of feeding habits and habitat environment, the BAF value of benthic crustaceans and bivalvia accumulated HMs from sediments is high, and the BAF value of fish accumulated HMs from water and sediments is low. Overall, the concentration of HMs in water is high, and HMs in sediments are in good condition, crustaceans and bivalviaa have a strong ability to accumulate HMs from water and sediments, while fish are weak. Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of biological quality, it is necessary to focus on the discharge of heavy metal pollutants near the coast in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrated the metal accumulation potential of Amaranthus retorflexus, a European weed species, both in moderately and strongly metal-contaminated sites. Metal accumulation in roots, stems, and leaves were studied. We also calculated the bioaccumulation factor (BAF), and translocation factor (TF) values to quantify the metal accumulation, and translocation between plant organs. Our findings indicated that metal accumulation correlated with metal concentration; that is plant organs accumulated higher concentration of metals in the contaminated area than in the control one. We found that the concentrations of Ba, Mn, Sr and Zn were the highest in leaves, and Al, Cr, Cu, Fe and Pb in roots. High BAF value was found for Sr in all studied areas, indicating this metal's high accumulation potential of Amaranthus retorflexus. High TF values were found for Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Sr and Zn; these metals were successfully transported to aboveground plant organs. We demonstrated that A. retroflexus, a fast-growing, rapidly spreading weed in Europe, was especially useful for heavy metal phytoremediation and phytoextraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the bioaccumulation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is essential for making regulatory decisions on potential environmental risks. Research in the field of ENM bioaccumulation has increased in recent years, but the compilation and statistical analysis of the available experimental data have not been updated. We therefore performed a meta‐analysis of the existing literature on the bioaccumulation of eight types of nondissolvable ENMs (titanium dioxide [TiO2], aluminum oxide [Al2O3], gold [Au], fullerene [C60], carbon nanotubes, iron oxide [FeOx], graphene, and polystyrene) in nonmammalian freshwater aquatic organisms across three trophic levels including phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish. Three typical endpoints were used to assess the bioaccumulation potential: the bioconcentration factor (BCF), the bioaccumulation factor (BAF), and the biomagnification factor (BMF). Our results suggest that zooplankton has greater mean logarithmic BCF and BAF values than phytoplankton (3.31 vs. 1.42) and fish (2.04). The ENMs are biomagnified in zooplankton, with a mean BMF of 17.4, whereas trophic transfer from primary consumers (zooplankton) to secondary consumers (fish) was not observed (mean BMF of 0.13). No clear dependency was identified between the physicochemical characteristics of ENMs (e.g., primary particle size, zeta potential, or shape) and bioaccumulation, except for coated versus uncoated particles accumulated in phytoplankton. Carbonaceous ENMs were found to be more bioaccumulated than the other ENMs we considered, except for TiO2. A meta‐analysis of bioaccumulation data can (1) deepen the understanding of bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of ENMs, (2) be used to support grouping strategies as a basis for a safer‐by‐design approach for ENMs, (3) be integrated into comprehensive hazard and risk assessments, (4) promote the standardization of testing guidelines, and (5) enhance future kinetic bioaccumulation modeling. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1202–1214. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extraction of hazardous compounds by plants (phytoextraction) is considered a green technology for the remediation of soils and water bodies. Phytoextraction of mercury is very challenging due to the specific chemical/biochemical properties of this element and its low plant uptake. In this review, mechanisms and processes of enhancing phytoextraction of mercury are summarized. Plants that look promising for induced phytoextraction of mercury are described. Additives of various types that may significantly increase the efficiency of mercury phytoextraction are critically evaluated. Thiosulfates and other sulfur-containing compounds, aminopolycarboxylic acids, low-molecular-weight organic acids and enzymes are considered in detail. The important role of selective chemical inductors, primarily thiosulfates, is demonstrated. It is shown that synthetic aminopolycarboxylic acids have the potential for increasing bioavailability of mercury in soils and its translocation to above-ground organs of plants-phytoextractors. Non-chemical methods of inducing mercury phytoextraction are also addressed. Abbreviations: APCA: aminopolycarboxylic acid, BAF: bioaccumulation factor, BDL: below detection limit Cys: cysteine, DTPA: diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, DW: dry weight, EDDHA: ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid, HEDTA: hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid, IPEN: International Pollutants Elimination Network (), LMWOA: low-molecular-weight organic acid, MPC: below maximum permission concentration, ND: not detectable, NTA: nitrilotriacetic acid, PGPR: plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, TF: translocation factor [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic contamination can settle into sediments, where it complexes with organic matter and becomes bioavailable. The resulting bioaccumulation of these contaminants by benthic fauna poses a serious threat due to the potential for trophic transfer. This paper offers an insight into the heterogenous accumulation behavior of different elements, and the consequences for ecological risk. In this study, we present field quantification of sediment-associated bioaccumulation factors (BAF S) in freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates. 17 elements were quantified using ICP-MS in sediment and Asellus aquaticus and Gammarus sp. samples. Previously published reports of contaminant concentrations in freshwater and marine sediments and benthic fauna were likewise analyzed to provide a complementary picture of bioaccumulation across contaminants and taxa. We demonstrate that the BAF S correlates strongly with the thiophilicity of the elemental contaminants, as defined by (Kepp, 2016), for all strata examined. These findings support the hypothesis that thiol-mediated processes, such as that of metallothionein, play a larger role in bioaccumulation than typically afforded. In conclusion, we demonstrate the potential for the thiophilic scale to act as a predictor of accumulation potential. [Display omitted] • Accumulation correlates strongly with thiophilicity across orders and environments. • Results support a thiol-based bioaccumulation process. • Bioavailability of contaminants can be predicted using the thiophilic scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed pesticide contamination transfer in Ikpoba River, an important tropical freshwater ecosystem in Southern Nigeria. The study quantified concentrations, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of pesticides in Ikpoba River's food web, with emphasis on less frequently assessed lower trophic-level organisms. Concentrations of pesticides were quantified in water, sediment and biota (phytoplankton, green algae (Cladophora), macrophyte (Commelina erecta), macrobenthic invertebrates (Lestes species, Caridina africana, Enallagma species, Gerris lacustris, Culex species, Pentaneura species, Sympetrum species, Argyroneta aquatica, Lecane species (Cladocera) and pelagic fish (Tilapia zilli)). Samples were collected at two separate stations and were analyzed using gas chromatography equipped with electron capture detector. Aldrin was the dominant pesticide in the Ikpoba River food web with concentrations accounting for 14.4% of the total pesticide residues in the assessed matrices. Sediment samples had significantly higher pesticide concentrations among the matrices assessed, with a total mean concentration of 0.095 ± 0.02 µg/kg dw. Among the biota samples, total pesticide levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in Commelina erecta. BAF and BSAF values were also highest in this species indicating that Commelina erecta may represent a greater reservoir for pesticides and may be a principal factor in subsequent transfer of pesticides along the food web of Ikpoba River. The BMF values for α-HCH, γ-HCH, β-HCH, glyphosate, heptachlor, aldrin, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan I, endrin, carbofuran and diazinon showed that these pesticides have the potential to biomagnify along the trophic levels. The persistence of these pesticides in Ikpoba River supports the need for continuous monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turtles, as a long-lived reptile, have been used as important tools to study heavy metal contamination because the accumulation of pollutants in the turtles is indicative of human health and ecological risks. The purpose of this study was to examine 10 heavy metals, including Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, As, Pb, Cd and Hg, in the surface waters, sediments, gastropods, and Khorat snail-eating turtle (Malayemys khoratensis) blood and to investigate the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) influenced by the heavy metal e-waste recycling activities in the area. Heavy metals were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The mean concentrations of heavy metals were Fe > Mn > Zn > As > Ni > Pb > Hg in the surface waters, Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > As > Hg in the sediments, Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > As = Pb > Cd = Hg in gastropods and Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cr > Hg > Pb in turtle blood. Noteworthy, the highest concentration of toxic heavy metal in surface water was As (0.0020 ± 0.0006 mg/L) while Cr was highest in sediments (10.6320 ± 2.3711 mg/kg), gastropods (0.9563 ± 0.3426 mg/kg) and turtle bloods (0.0706 ± 0.0131 mg/L). Zn had the highest BAF concentration in turtle blood (7,958.4240 ± 6,798.5850 L/kg) and significant bioaccumulation potential. This study presented that heavy metal pollution from e-waste recycling sites can accumulate in freshwater turtles and implies that the rice field ecosystems around the e-waste recycling activity site were contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Therefore, the local people and wildlife inhabiting the areas were exposed to toxicity risks from toxic heavy metals from unsafe recycling activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the combined use of sewage sludge (SS) and plant growth-promoting rhizobia (PGPR) for Ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.) cultivated under field conditions. The different treatments of SS and PGPR such as 0% (soil as control), 5% SS, 5% SS + PGPR, 10% SS, and 10% SS + PGPR were applied to assess their impacts on seedling growth, biochemical response, and yield performance of Ridge gourd. The results showed that the highest seedling emergence (92.3 ± 2.1%), fresh biomass (9.6 ± 0.3 g), growth rate (1.4 ± 0.1 g/day), seedling length (15.5 ± 0.3 cm), root length (10.4 ± 0.3 cm), total chlorophyll (3.2 ± 0.1 mg/g), crop yield (13.8 ± 0.1 kg/plant), and average crop yield per harvest (2.8 ± 0.1 kg/plant) were observed in 10% SS + PGPR treatment. The enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; µg/g) and catalase (CAT: µg/g) were significantly lowered after PGPR inoculation in higher SS treatments. The results of principal component (PC) and Euclidian clustered distance analyses showed a positive influence of SS dose on soil nutrient availability and Ridge gourd's growth, biochemical responses, and yield performance. Moreover, the elemental analysis showed that the bioaccumulation factor (BAF < 0.90) and health risk index (HRI < 0.40) of selected metal elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) were within the permissible limits, indicating consumption of Ridge gourd fruits was safe. The outcomes of this study suggest the potential use of SS and PGPR for improved Ridge gourd production and contribution towards sustainable development goal (SDG) 12 on responsible consumption and production of vegetable crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]