Abstract
This study was carried out to determine the heavy metal accumulation of Juncus rigidus Desfontaines, 1798 from three different regions of the Basrah Province in Southern of Iraq. Specifically, the concentrations of lead, nickel, and cadmium were determined in the roots, culms and leaves of the plant. The results indicated that the highest accumulation of the heavy metal was recorded in lead (Pb) 12.50± 3.58 mg kg-1and then in nickel ( 1 used to the ability of J. rigidus for both phytoextraction and phytostabilization. The anatomical analysis showed that heavy metal accumulation in plant tissues led to a reduction in root and culm thickness; in polluted area it has been found that cortex and intercellular spaces in aerenchyma layers were deceased in size, whereas high pollution levels were observed in vascular bundles, which were smaller, and had increased sclerenchyma, as well as appeared more black or dark color compared to the specimens grown in the control area
Highlights
The genus of Juncus Linnaeus, 1753 belongs to the family of Juncaceae, which has approximately 250 - 300 species worldwide
The heavy metal concentrations in J. rigidus tissues of contaminated areas are shown in Table (1); the highest accumulation of the heavy metal was recorded in lead 12.50± 3.58 mg kg-1and nickel (< 0.30), the lowest value was recorded for cadmium (< 0.05)
These results revealed that the plants accumulated great amounts of heavy metals; the results indicated that the lead content of the J. rigidus plants surpassed the upper limits of the normal range (Tab. 1)
Summary
The genus of Juncus Linnaeus, 1753 belongs to the family of Juncaceae, which has approximately 250 - 300 species worldwide. J. rigidus species are used in traditional medicine for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, cytotoxic, antiviral, anti-algal, and anti-inflammatory properties (El-Shamy et al, 2015) This genus contains several medically relevant compounds including terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, sterols, carotenoids, stilbenes and phenanthrenes. Seeds of this plant are rich in fatty acids and amino acids (Osman et al, 1975; Zahran and ElHabib, 1979). The study area (Basrah City) contains developed industrial or urban regions which led to many environmental problems, and caused an increase in pollution, including heavy metals (Al-Obaidy et al, 2016). The purpose of the present study was to determine the bioaccumulation of three heavy metals Pb, Cd, and Ni in the roots, culm, and leaves of J. rigidus, which have grown in different contaminated sites in Basrah in order to determine the applicability of J. rigidus for phytoremediation, and to observe the anatomical changes of roots and culm structure
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