Evaluation of the phytoremediation potential of three plant species for azoxystrobin-contaminated soil

Abstract

Azoxystrobin is a broad-spectrum, systemic and soil-applied fungicide used for crop protection on more than 80 different crops. Azoxystrobin use has induced water pollution and ecotoxicological effects upon aquatic organisms, as well as heath issues. Such issues may be solved by phytoremediation. Here, we tested Plantago major L., Helianthus annus L. and Glycine max L. to clean soils under laboratory conditions. Results show that the accumulation efficiency of azoxystrobin and azoxystrobin acid in roots was higher than those of leaves. G. max roots were an efficient accumulator of azoxystrobin (25.32 mg/kg), followed by P. major roots (20.62 mg/kg) and H. annus roots (18.29 mg/kg), within 10 days, respectively. In the leaves, azoxystrobin significantly translocated into the P. major leaves and reached the maximum after 10 days of exposure (15.03 mg/kg), followed by H. annus leaves (9.8 mg/kg), while it reached the maximum after 3 days of exposure (3.12 mg/kg) in G. max leaves. Azoxystrobin acid significantly accumulated in P. major roots more than the G. max and H. annus roots. In the leaves, azoxystrobin acid significantly accumulated in G. max more than P. major and H. annus. The presence of P. major with Tween 80 had effects on azoxystrobin desorption from soil, plant uptake metabolism and translocation more than P. major alone.