Interactive Effects of Lead and Nickel Contamination on Nickel Mobility Dynamics in Spinach

Abstract

Nickel (Ni) uptake pattern may be influenced in the presence of lead (Pb) metal ions in the soil and may mediate the Ni dynamics in root and shoot part of spinach. A pot culture experiment was carried out with four levels of each Pb (0, 100, 150, and 300 mg kg−1soil) and Ni (0, 100, 150, and 300 mg kg−1 soil) in spinach to assess the Pb and Ni contamination interactive effect on Ni dynamics in soil. Study revealed that increasing the concentration of Pb and Ni enhanced the concentration of the respective metals in the spinach root and shoot parts. Increasing the levels of Pb (0–300 mg kg−1) had significantly (p = 0.05) reduced the Ni uptake in shoot and root from 0.195 to 0.033 mg pot−1 and from 0.026 to 0.008 mg pot−1, respectively. The metal dynamics ratios, i.e., bioconcentration factor (BCF), translocation factor (TF), transfer efficiency (TE), and crop removal of Ni were also negatively affected by application of Pb. Increasing the Pb levels in soil from 100 to 300 mg kg−1 significantly (p = 0.05) decreases BCF value from 0.113 to 0.108. Under multi-metal toxicity conditions, high level of Pb in the effluent reduced the Ni uptake by spinach and affects the soil health. The findings are very much useful for planning effective effluent management strategies and guidelines to reduce the metal contamination in food crops under peri-urban areas.