Abstract
The use of plants for heavy metal-polluted soil rehabilitation is an emerging ecologically sound and safe technique. An in vitro laboratory experiment was conducted for 15 days in Petri dishes containing 3 layers of Whatman filter papers wetted by 50 ml of heavy metals Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, separately at 0, 10, 20, 40, 80 to 160 µM to determine their impacts on germination rate, root and shoot growth of surface sterilized alfalfa seeds. An in vivo experiment was also conducted in a greenhouse setting, and the alfalfa seeds were grown for 8 weeks in plastic pots containing 2 kg of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) contaminated clay loam brown forest soil at different concentration levels (0, 10, 20, 40, 80 to 160 mg/kg). The results of in vitro demonstrated that the rates of seed germination, root and shoot growth were affected by Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb metals at higher concentrations of 80 and 160 µM. The inhibitory decreasing order of metal toxicity on seed germination was Cd > Cu > Ni > Pb > Zn. However, seed germination increased at all Zn dosages. Meanwhile, the lower concentrations of investigated metals (10 and 20 µM) stimulated the root and shoots length and at 10 and 20 mg/kg concentration levels increase plant biomass. It was found that alfalfa was able to grow efficiently at all Zn concentrations except at 160 mg/kg. The results showed that alfalfa was able to uptake the heavy metals at the applied concentrations ranging from 10 to 160 mg/kg by various degrees. Finally, the alfalfa plants, to some extent, demonstrated their potential in cleaning the soil environment from heavy metals.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
High concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb impaired alfalfa germination and root and shoot growth.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativa L.
Medicago sativat0 - Treatment
- Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb metals at higher concentrations of 80 and 160 µMe0
- Outcome
- seed germination, root and shoot growthe0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Medicago sativa L.”
e0“the rates of seed germination, root and shoot growth were affected by Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb metals at higher concentrations of 80 and 160 µM.”
Claim · model-written summary
Metal toxicity to germination ranked Cd greater than Cu greater than Ni greater than Pb greater than Zn.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativa L.Medicago sativat0
- Outcome
- metal toxicity on seed germinatione0
- Direction
- inhibitory decreasing ordere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Medicago sativa L.”
e0“The inhibitory decreasing order of metal toxicity on seed germination was Cd > Cu > Ni > Pb > Zn.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn increased seed germination at every tested dosage.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativa L.Medicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Zn dosagese0
- Outcome
- seed germinatione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Medicago sativa L.”
e0“seed germination increased at all Zn dosages.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower metal concentrations stimulated root and shoot length.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativa L.Medicago sativat0
- Treatment
- investigated metals (10 and 20 µM)e0
- Outcome
- root and shoots lengthe0
- Direction
- stimulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Medicago sativa L.”
e0“the lower concentrations of investigated metals (10 and 20 µM) stimulated the root and shoots length”
Claim · model-written summary
Metal concentrations of 10 and 20 mg/kg increased alfalfa biomass.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativa L.Medicago sativat0
- Treatment
- 10 and 20 mg/kg concentration levelse0
- Outcome
- plant biomasse0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Medicago sativa L.”
e0“at 10 and 20 mg/kg concentration levels increase plant biomass.”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa grew efficiently at all Zn concentrations except 160 mg/kg.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- Zn concentrationse0
- Outcome
- grow efficientlye0
- Qualifier
- except at 160 mg/kge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“alfalfa was able to grow efficiently at all Zn concentrations except at 160 mg/kg.”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa took up heavy metals applied at 10 to 160 mg/kg.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- applied concentrations ranging from 10 to 160 mg/kge0
- Outcome
- uptake the heavy metalse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“alfalfa was able to uptake the heavy metals at the applied concentrations ranging from 10 to 160 mg/kg by various degrees.”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa showed some potential to clean heavy metal contaminated soil.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- potential in cleaning the soil environment from heavy metalse0
- Qualifier
- to some extente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the alfalfa plants, to some extent, demonstrated their potential in cleaning the soil environment from heavy metals.”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.