Abstract
ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the accumulation and distribution of copper (Cu) in the pioneer tree Schinus terebinthifolius R. (aroeira) and non-pioneer tree Eugenia uniflora L. (pitanga) submitted to different concentrations of copper. The plants received 40 mL of Hoagland & Arnon (1950) n. 1 nutrient solution modified with 0.00032, 0.0032, 0.032 and 0.32 mM Cu2+ applied to the soil. We analyzed biomass, biometry and Cu contents in plants and the concentration of Cu in soil. Cu concentration in the soil contaminated with 0.32 mM Cu2+ was higher than other treatments. Neither species showed characteristics of plant phytotoxicity. However, the two species did exhibit different physiological responses to Cu; S. terebinthifolius accumulated the metal only in roots, while E. uniflora accumulated Cu in roots and leaves. The highest Cu concentration in soil was observed in the treatment with 0.32 mM Cu2+. Outstanding to foliar accumulation, E. uniflora could be used for biomonitoring.
Highlights
Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants, occurring naturally in soil; high concentrations of Cu can affect all components of the environment (Chaves et al, 2010)
The Cu content in soil ranged from 2.5 to 13.4 mg Cu dm-3 in soil cultivated with S. terebinthifolius and 2.9 to 13.5 Cu mg dm-3 in soil cultivated with E. uniflora (Figure 1)
Cu accumulation in soil occurred only in the 0.32 mM Cu2+ treatment with 13.4 mg Cu dm-3 in soil cultivated with S. terebinthifolius and 13.5 Cu mg dm-3 in soil cultivated with E. uniflora
Summary
Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants, occurring naturally in soil; high concentrations of Cu can affect all components of the environment (Chaves et al, 2010). Soils in urban areas may contain high and toxic concentrations of Cu from anthropogenic activities, such as traffic and industrial emissions (Vince et al, 2014). Precipitation reactions, adsorption on mineral particle surfaces and complexation by humic substances are the main forms of Cu retention in soil (Khan & Scullion, 2000). The Quality Reference Value (QRV) is the concentration of a determined substance in the soil that defines a soil as clean (Carvalho et al, 2018). CETESB (São Paulo State Environmental Sanitary Technology Company, Brazil) established 35 mg kg-1 as the QRV value for Cu in soil for São Paulo State (CETESB, 2014); which, sets the limit for potential modification in the natural quality of the soil
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