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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil

Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil

Published on: September 1, 2020

Soil selenium uptake and root system development in plant taxa differing in Se-accumulating capability.

Christopher C Goodson¹, David R Parker¹, Christopher Amrhein¹

¹Soil and Water Sciences Section, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside CA 92521, USA.

The New Phytologist

|April 20, 2021

Summary

Identifying selenium-accumulating plants is key for phytoremediation. This study found that plants, including hyperaccumulators, access the same labile selenium pools in soil, suggesting broader applicability for selenium removal strategies.

Keywords:

hyperaccumulator isotopic dilution labile Se phytoremediation root architecture selenium (Se)

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Soil Science
Plant Biology

Background:

Phytoremediation offers a sustainable approach for removing selenium (Se) from contaminated environments.
Identifying plant taxa capable of extracting recalcitrant soil Se is crucial for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the Se uptake capacity of six plant genotypes from labile and non-labile soil pools.
To compare the biologically labile pool (L-value) with the chemically labile pool (E-value) of soil Se for different plant species.

Main Methods:

A glasshouse study utilized five high-Se soils amended with 75Se, cropped with selected plant genotypes (Astragalus bisulcatus, Astragalus canadensis, Brassica juncea, Sporobolus airoides, and Stanleya pinnata).
Biologically labile Se (L-value) was determined using isotopic signatures of harvested shoots.
Chemically labile Se (E-value) was measured through 0.1 M KCl extraction.
Rhizobox experiments assessed root growth in Se-enriched soils.

Main Results:

The biologically labile pool (L-value) ranged from 2-37% of total soil Se, while the chemically labile pool (E-value) ranged from 4-73%.
No tested plant consistently showed L-values exceeding E-values, indicating all plants access similar labile Se fractions.
Some Se-accumulating plants exhibited root proliferation in Se-present soils, warranting further investigation.

Conclusions:

All evaluated plants, including Se hyperaccumulators, appear to utilize the same labile soil Se fractions.
The findings suggest that phytoremediation strategies may not need to exclusively target hyperaccumulators for labile Se extraction.
Further research into root responses of Se-accumulators in contaminated soils is recommended.