People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

:Research about

Metal Elements Toxicity in Plants

:Prepared by
Mesai Aoun Zahra-
Group: 01

2023/2024
 WORK PLAN

WORK PLAN...........................................................................................................................................2
Abstract:................................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION :...................................................................................................................................4
Heavy metals and metalloids uptake by plants and their bioavailability :.............................................5
Heavy metal emission :..........................................................................................................................5
Copper effects on plants :......................................................................................................................6
Manganese effects on plants :...............................................................................................................6
Chromium effects on plants :.................................................................................................................7
Arsenic effects on plants :......................................................................................................................7
Cobalt effects on plants :.......................................................................................................................7
Iron effects on plants :...........................................................................................................................8
Mercury effects on plants :....................................................................................................................8
Chromium effects on plants :.................................................................................................................9
Conclusion :.........................................................................................................................................10
 :Abstract

Metal contamination issues are becoming increasingly common in India and elsewhere, with
many documented cases of metal toxicity in mining industries, foundries, smelters, coal-
burning power plants and agriculture. Heavy metals, such as cadmium, copper, lead,
chromium and mercury are major environmental pollutants, particularly in areas with high
anthropogenic pressure. Heavy metal accumulation in soils is of concern in agricultural
production due to the adverse effects on food safety and marketability, crop growth due to
phytotoxicity, and environmental health of soil organisms. A few metals, including copper,
manganese, cobalt, zinc and chromium are, however, essential to plant metabolism in trace
amounts. only when metals are present in bioavailable forms and at excessive
 :INTRODUCTION

Like all living organisms, plants are often sensitive both to the deficiency and to the excess
availability of some heavy metal ions as essential micronutrient, while the same at higher
concentrations and even more ions such as Cd, Hg, As are strongly poisonous to the
metabolic activities Researches have been conducted throughout the world to determine the
effects of toxic heavy metals on plants. Contamination of agricultural soil by heavy metals
has become a critical environmental concern due to their potential adverse ecological effects.
Such toxic elements are considered as soil pollutants due to their widespread occurrence and
 :Heavy metals and metalloids uptake by plants and their bioavailability

The important factor of bioavailability of metals/metalloids is their presence in soil and

water; there are not many plants that are able to uptake them from air. Next important factor
is the actual form of heavy metal (valence) in soil or water that matches the actual conditions,
such as pH, oxygen content, presence or absence of other inorganic as well as organic
compounds. There is no correlation between soil metal content and content of this metal in
plants tissus. Some heavy metals are almost absolutely unavailable for plants due to their
insolubility and interactions with soil particles. The suitable example is lead (Pb) that is
present in big amounts in exposed areas, but is almost unavailable to plants because of its low
solubility and strong interactions with soil particles. The ability of metals and metalloids to
form complexes with compounds present in water and soil plays an important role in
increasing their bioavailability and uptake. Heavy metals and metalloids can enter plants via
uptake systems

:Heavy metal emission

Heavy metals can be emitted into the environment by both natural and anthropogenic
activities. The major causes of emission are the anthropogenic sources specifically mining
operations. In some cases, even long after the mining activities have ceased, the emitted
metals continue to persist in the environment. Reported that hard rock mines operate from 5–
15 years until the minerals are depleted, but metal contamination that occurs as a
consequence of hard rock mining persist for hundreds of years after the cessation of mining
operations. Apart from mining operations, mercury is introduced to the environment through
cosmetic products as well as manufacturing processes like making of sodium hydroxide.
Heavy metals are emitted both in elemental and in compound (organic and inorganic) forms.
Anthropogenic sources of emission are the various industrial point sources including former
and present mining sites, foundries and smelters, combustion by-products and traffics
Cadmium is released as a by-product of zinc (and occasionally lead) refining; lead is emitted
during its mining and smelting activities, from automobile exhausts (by combustion of
petroleum fuels treated with tetraethyl lead antiknock) and from old lead paints; mercury is
emitted by the degassing of the earth’s crust. Generally, metals are emitted during their
mining and processing activities
 :Copper effects on plants

Copper (Cu) is considered as a micronutrient for plants and plays important role in CO2
assimilation and ATP synthesis. Cu is also an essential component of various proteins like
plastocyanin of photosynthetic system and cytochrome oxidase of respiratory electron
transport chain. But enhanced industrial and mining activities have contributed to the
increasing occurrence of Cu in ecosystems. Cu is also added to soils from different human
activities including mining and smelting of Cu-containing ores. Mining activities generate a
large amount of waste rocks and tailings, which get deposited at the surface. Excess of Cu in
soil plays a cytotoxic role, induces stress and causes injury to plants. This leads to plant
.growth retardation and leaf chlorosis

:Manganese effects on plants

Contents of Mn in plants are results of both the plants characteristics and the pool of available
Mn in soil, which is highly controlled by soil properties. Although the Mn uptake is
metabolically controlled, its passive absorption, especially at high and/or toxic ranges, is also
observed the most important Mn function in plants is related to the oxidation-reduction
processes. Most crop plants do not suffer from Mn deficiency at concentrations above the
range of 15–25 mg kg–1. An excess of phytoavailable Mn is associated with several soil
properties, particularly with a high acidity (pH <5.5), anaerobic condition, and poor aeration.
The Mn toxicity in plants can occur also on highly alkaline soils, at about pH 8, where
complex Mn anions can be formed. The Mn biochemistry is controlled by interactions with
several elements, in particular with Fe and Co. In general, Fe and Mn are interrelated in their
metabolic functions, and their appropriate levels and ratio (the Fe/Mn ratio should range from
.1.5 to2.5) is a prerequisite of healthy plants
 :Chromium effects on plants

Chromium (Cr) compounds are highly toxic to plants and are detrimental to their growth and
development. Although some crops are not affected by low Cr (3.8 9 10-4lM) concentrations.
Cr is toxic to most higher plants at 100 l kg-1 dry weight. Since seed germination is the first
physiological process affected by Cr, the ability of a seed to germinate in a medium
containing Cr would be indicative of its level of tolerance to this metal. Seed germination of
the weed Echinochloa colona was reduced to 25% with 200 lM Cr. High levels (500 ppm) of
.hexavalent Cr in soil reduced germination up to 48% in the bush bean Phaseolus vulgaris

:Arsenic effects on plants

Arsenate (As) is an analog of phosphate (P) and competes forth same uptake carriers in the
root plasmalemma of plants. The As tolerance has been identified in a number of plant
species. The As tolerance in grasses results from suppression of a high-affinity P/As uptake
system. This suppression reduces as influx to a level at which plant can easily detoxify it,
presumably by constitutive mechanisms. The As tolerance is achieved by a single gene
encoding for the suppressed P/As transport. Despite this clear understanding of the process
controlling decrease in as uptake, tolerant grasses still assimilate As, albeit at much lower rate
compared with non-tolerant. Nevertheless, assimilation over the life history of plants growing
on contaminated soil can result in a very high as concentration, e.g., 3,470 mg/g As in
Agrostis tenuis and560 mg/g As in Holcus lanatus

:Cobalt effects on plants

Cobalt (Co) naturally occurs in the earth’s crust as cobaltite [CoAsS], erythrite [Co3(AsO4)2]
and smaltite [CoAs2]. Plants can accumulate small amount of Co from the soil. The uptake
and distribution of Co in plants is species dependent and controlled by different mechanisms.
Very little information is available regarding the phytotoxic effect of excess Co. Phytotoxicity
study of Co in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum L.) has recently shown the adverse effect on shoot growth and
biomass. In addition to biomass, excess of Co restricted the concentration of Fe, chlorophyll,
protein and catalase activity in leaves of cauliflower. Further, high level of Co also affected
the translocation of P, S, Mn, Zn and Cu from roots to tops in cauliflower. In contrast to
excess Cu or Cr, Co significantly decreased water potential and transpiration rate. While
diffusive resistance and relative water content increased in leaves of cauliflower upon
exposure to excess Co

:Iron effects on plants

The mechanisms of Fe uptake by plants and transport within plants, as well as its metabolic
functions have received much study because Fe is the key metal in energy transformation
needed for syntheses and other life processes of the cells. At conditions of Fe deficiency,
roots of some plants can develop various mechanisms responsible for enhanced Fe solubility
through the reduction of Fe3+ and/or chelation in Phyto siderophore forms that are efficient
in mobilizing Fe. Phyto siderophores released by the roots of Poaceae into the rhizosphere
especially influence the availability and uptake of Fe and, probably, other metals The
appropriate content of Fe in plants is essential to both, the plant metabolism and the nutrient
supply to humans and animals. The plant ability to absorb Fe is variable and is affected by
changing conditions of soil and climate and by stages of plant growth and specific genotype
properties. Some plants, like e.g., Alyssum bertoloni, exhibit a special capability to absorb Fe
and can accumulated this metal to about 4 000 mg kg–1 in roots and 1 300 mg kg–1 in leaves

: Mercury effects on plants

The large input of mercury (Hg) into the arable lands has resulted in the widespread
occurrence of mercury contamination in the entire food chain. Hg is a unique metal due to its
existence in different forms e.g., HgS, Hg2, Hg_and methyl-Hg. However, in agricultural
soil, ionic form (Hg2) is predominant. Plants differ in their ability to take up Hg and can
develop a tolerance to its high concentrations when grown in contaminated sites. Plants seem
to absorb Hg easily from solution, however there is not much evidence that increasing soils
Hg generally causes an increase in the Hg content of plants, partly due to its great
accumulation in roots. Increased Hg content in vegetation from contaminated sites indicates
that it is taken up from soil, however, its atmospheric source is known to contribute also
significantly to Hg levels in plants. In recent years, the attention has been paid to Hg uptake
from the atmosphere. In some cases, the major part of Hg in above-ground parts of trees
seems to be associated mainly with its atmospheric deposition
 :Chromium effects on plants

There is no clear evidence to date that Cr is essential in plant metabolisms, and thus,
described positive effects of Cr application on plant growth and development may be
artifacts. Chromium is slightly available to plants and not easily translocated within plants,
thus it is concentrated mainly in roots. The form most available to plants is Cr6+, which is the
very unstable form under normal soil conditions. Also, Cr3+ and several complex Cr anions
(e.g., CrO42–) seem to be easy available to plants. The mechanism of absorption and
translocation of Cr in plants is apparently similar to those of Fe, and therefore the capability
of roots to convert Cr3+ to CrO42– is the key process in Cr absorption. This Cr conversion
has been observed in spite of the different forms of Cr supplied to plants. There is some
evidence that easily available Cr6+ is transformed into Cr3+ forms in plant cells
 :Conclusion

Heavy metals still represent a group of dangerous pollutants, to which close attention is paid.
Many heavy metals are essential as important constituents of pigments and enzymes, mainly
zinc, nickel and copper. The influence of plants and their metabolic activities affects the
geological and biological redistribution of heavy metals through pollution of the air, water
and soil. Various physiological and biochemical processes in plants are affected by metals.
The contemporary investigations into toxicity and tolerance in metal-stressed plants are
.prompted by the growing metal pollution in the environment
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