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Updated: Mar 28, 2026
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A Method to Preserve Wetland Roots and Rhizospheres for Elemental Imaging
Published on: February 15, 2021
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Plants increase arsenic in solution but decrease the non-specifically bound fraction in the rhizosphere of an
Carole Obeidy1, Matthieu N Bravin2, Jean-Luc Bouchardon3
1Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, Département SPIN, Laboratoire GéoSciences & Environnement, 158 cours Fauriel, F-42023 Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
|December 29, 2015
Summary
Phytostabilization using four plant species reduced arsenic in soil but increased it in soil solution. Plants redistributed arsenic to less available forms, aiding soil remediation efforts.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Arsenic (As) contamination in soils poses environmental and health risks.
- Phytostabilization is a promising strategy for managing arsenic-contaminated sites.
- Understanding arsenic dynamics in the rhizosphere is crucial for effective phytostabilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physical-chemical processes governing arsenic dynamics in the rhizosphere.
- To evaluate the role of four plant species (Holcus lanatus, Dittrichia viscosa, Lotus corniculatus, Plantago lanceolata) in arsenic phytostabilization.
- To quantify arsenic redistribution between soil fractions and plant uptake.
Main Methods:
- Experiments conducted in alkaline, arsenic-rich soil with planted and unplanted pots.
- Monitoring of soil solution composition every 15 days for 90 days.
- Analysis of arsenic concentrations in soil solution and the non-specifically bound soil fraction.
Main Results:
- All four plant species increased arsenic concentration in the soil solution.
- Plants decreased arsenic concentration in the non-specifically bound (easily exchangeable) soil fraction.
- Arsenic desorbed from the non-specifically bound fraction was mainly redistributed to less available soil fractions (60%) and taken up by plants (35%).
Conclusions:
- Plants effectively induce arsenic redistribution to less available fractions in the rhizosphere, supporting phytostabilization.
- Concomitant increase in rhizosphere solution arsenic concentration by plants may enhance arsenic transfer via plant uptake and leaching.
- Further research is needed to optimize phytostabilization strategies considering plant-induced arsenic mobilization.
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