This paper presents a review of soil contamination resulting from e-waste recycling activities, with a special focus on China, where many data have been collected for a decade. Soils in the e-waste areas are often contaminated by heavy metals and organic compounds, mainly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated and polybrominated biphenyls (PCBs and PBBs), dechlorane plus (DP), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polychlorinated and polybrominated dibenzo- p-dioxins (PCDDs and PBDDs), and polychlorinated and polybrominated dibenzofurans (PCDFs and PBDFs), while other compounds, not systematically monitored, can be found as well. Pollutants are generally present in mixtures, so pollution situations are complex and diversified with a gradient of contamination from agricultural soils to hot spots at e-waste sites and mainly in open burning areas. It has been proved that pollutants were transferred to the food chain via rice in China, and that the population was threatened since high levels of various pollutants were detected in blood, placentas, hair, etc., of residents of e-waste sites. Eventually, soil remediation techniques are reviewed. Although there are many available techniques devoted to heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, the current techniques for the e-waste sites, where these contaminants coexist, are very sparse. Phytoremediation has been investigated and co-cropping appears as a promising approach for the slightly contaminated agricultural soils. In some cases, different remediation techniques should be combined or trained, while the influence of coexisting contaminants and the removal sequence of contaminants should be considered. In hot spots, physical and chemical techniques should be used to reduce high pollution levels to prevent further pollutant dissemination. This review highlights the urgent needs for 1) characterization of pollution status in all the countries where e-wastes are recycled, 2) research on fate and toxicity of pol
G. ECHEVARRIAT. STERCKEMANM. O. SIMONNOTJ. L. MOREL
Knowledge of cellular metal homeostasis will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in metal tolerance and hyperaccumulation in metal-hyperaccumulating plants. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) was used to determine the localization of cadmium (Cd) in leaves of the Zn/Cd hyperaccumulator Picris divaricata which had a shoot Cd concentration of 565 mg kg 1 after 2 weeks of growth in solution culture supplying 10 μmol L-1 CdCl2 . The results indicated that Cd was distributed mainly in the trichomes, upper and lower epidermis and bundle sheath cells, with a relatively low level of Cd in mesophyll cells. Mesophyll protoplasts isolated from leaves remained viable after 24 h exposure to CdCl2 at a concentration up to 1 mmol L-1 , indicating their high tolerance to Cd. The intracellular Cd was visualized by staining with Leadmium Green dye, a cellular permeable Cd fluorescence probe. The results showed that the majority of protoplasts (> 82%) did not accumulate Cd, with only a minority (< 18%) showing Cd accumulation. In the Cd-accumulating protoplasts, Cd accumulation was depressed by the addition of Fe2+ , Mn2+ and the metabolic inhibitor carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), but not by Ca 2+ or Zn2+ . Furthermore, the entire process of Cd uptake from external solution into the cytoplasm and subsequent sequestration into vacuoles was successfully recorded by confocal images. These results suggested that reduced cellular Cd accumulation and efficient Cd vacuolar sequestration in mesophyll cells might be responsible for cellular Cd tolerance and distribution in the leaves of P. divaricata.
HU Peng-JieGAN Yuan-YuanTANG Ye-TaoZHANG Quan-FangJIANG DanYAO NanQIU Rong-Liang
A rhizobox experiment was conducted to compare iron (Fe) oxidation and changes of pH, redox potential (Eh) and fractions of zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of four emergent-rooted wetland plants (Echinodorus macrophyllus, Eleocharis geniculata, Hydrocotyle vulgaris and Veronica serpyllifolia) with different radial oxygen loss (ROL) from roots. The results indicated that all these wetland plants decreased pH and concentration of Fe(Ⅱ) but increased the Eh in the rhizosphere soils. Pb and Zn were transformed from unstable fractions to more stable fractions in the rhizosphere soils, so decreasing their potential metal mobility factors (MF). Among the four plants, E. macrophyllus, with the highest ROL and root biomass, possessed the greatest ability in formation of Fe plaque and in the reduction of heavy metal MFs in the rhizosphere soil. Wetland plants, with higher ROLs and root biomass, may thus be effective in decreasing potential long-term heavy metal bioavailabilities.
A pot experiment was conducted with multi-metal (Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) contaminated acidic soil to investigate changes in available metal burden resulting from the application of industrial wastes (fly ash and steel slag). The efficiency of amendments-induced metal stabilization was evaluated by diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT), sequential extraction, and plant uptake. The stability of remediation was assessed by an acidification test and by chemical equilibrium modeling. Addition of fly ash (20 g kg-1 ) and steel slag (3 g kg-1 ) resulted in similar increase in soil pH. Both amendments significantly decreased the concentrations of metals measured with DGT (C DGT) and the metal uptake by Oryza sativa L. Significant correlations were found between C DGT and the concentration of a combination of metal fractions (exchangeable, bound to carbonates, and bound to Fe/Mn oxides), unraveling the labile species that participate in the flux of metal resupply. The capability of metal resupply, as reflected by the R (ratio of C DGT to pore water metal concentration) values, significantly decreased in the amended soils. The C DGT correlated well with the plant uptake, suggesting that DGT is a good indicator for bioavailability. Acidification raised the extractable metal concentration in amended soil but the concentration did not return to the pre-amendment level. Equilibrium modeling indicated that the soil amendments induced the precipitation of several Fe, Al and Ca minerals, which may play a positive role in metal stabilization. Chemical stabilization with alkaline amendments could be an effective and stable soil remediation strategy for attenuating metal bioavailability and reducing plant metal uptake.
