Effect of arsenic absorption on the water-refilling speed of Pteris cretica

Heavy metals are largely responsible for soil and water pollution. Recently, phytoremediation is receiving a large attention as a plant-based technology for removing metals from contaminated soil and water in an environment-friendly and cost-effective way. In such context, some species of ferns such as Pteris cretica were found to be a hyper-accumulator of arsenic (As). In this study, we first explored the validity of measuring the water-refilling process in xylem vessels of Pteris cretica using the synchrotron X-ray microimaging technique. Then we investigated the effects of arsenic concentration on the water-refilling speed inside the xylem vessel. The methodology to measure the water-refilling speed was consistent within five repetitions and 3 hours after the stem sample was cut from the plant. The water-refilling speed in the xylem vessels of the Pteris grown in arsenic solution was faster than that in normal water. Arsenic concentration of 0-1,000 μM was tested and the maximum speed was obtained at 500 μM. Conclusively, the experimental methodology developed in this study allowed to obtain some interesting results for understanding how arsenic affect the xylem sap flow transport and the mechanism by which growth is enhanced in the presence of heavy metal.