Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

A comparison of growth on mercuric chloride for three Lemnaceae species reveals differences in growth dynamics that effect their suitability for use in either monitoring or remediating ecosystems contaminated with mercury

Yang, Jingjing; Li, Gaojie; Bishopp, Anthony; Heenatigala, P.P.M.; Hu, Shiqi; Chen, Yan; Wu, Zhigang; Kumar, Sunjeet; Duan, Pengfei; Yao, Lunguang; Hou, Hongwei

Authors

Jingjing Yang

Gaojie Li

P.P.M. Heenatigala

Shiqi Hu

Yan Chen

Zhigang Wu

Sunjeet Kumar

Pengfei Duan

Lunguang Yao

Hongwei Hou



Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy metal that can alter the ecological balance when it contaminates aquatic ecosystems. Previously, researchers have used various Lemnaceae species either to monitor and/or remove heavy metals from freshwater systems. As Hg contamination is a pressing issue for aquatic systems worldwide, we assessed its impact on the growth of three commonly species of Lemnaceae - Lemna gibba 6745, Lemna minor 6580 and Spirodela polyrhiza 5543. We exposed plants to different concentrations of mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) and monitored their growth, including relative growth rate, frond number (FN), and fresh weight (FW). These data were coupled with measurements of starch content, levels of photosynthetic pigment and the activities of antioxidant substances. The growth of all three lines showed significant negative correlations with Hg concentrations, and starch content, photosynthetic pigment, soluble protein and antioxidant enzymes levels were all clearly affected. Our results indicate that the L. gibba line used in this study was the most suitable of the three for biomonitoring of water contaminated with Hg. Accumulation of Hg was highest in the S. polyrhiza line with a bioconcentration factor over 1,000, making this line the most suitable of the three tested for use in an Hg bioremediation system.

Citation

Yang, J., Li, G., Bishopp, A., Heenatigala, P., Hu, S., Chen, Y., …Hou, H. (2018). A comparison of growth on mercuric chloride for three Lemnaceae species reveals differences in growth dynamics that effect their suitability for use in either monitoring or remediating ecosystems contaminated with mercury. Frontiers in Chemistry, 6(112), https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2018.00112

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 26, 2018
Online Publication Date Apr 16, 2018
Publication Date Apr 16, 2018
Deposit Date Apr 20, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Frontiers in Chemistry
Electronic ISSN 2296-2646
Publisher Frontiers Media
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 6
Issue 112
DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2018.00112
Keywords duckweed, mercuric chloride, toxicity test, growth indices, chemical composition, biomonitoring, bioremediation
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/926489
Publisher URL https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2018.00112/full
Additional Information First published by Frontiers Media as: Yang J, Li G, Bishopp A, Heenatigala PPM, Hu S, Chen Y, Wu Z, Kumar S, Duan P, Yao L and Hou H (2018) A Comparison of Growth on Mercuric Chloride for Three Lemnaceae Species Reveals
Differences in Growth Dynamics That Effect Their Suitability for Use in Either Monitoring or Remediating Ecosystems Contaminated With Mercury. Front. Chem. 6:112.
doi: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00112

Files





You might also like



Downloadable Citations