title: Fate and effects of heavy metals in salt marsh sediments.
abstract: The fate and effects of selected heavy metals were examined in sediment from a restored salt marsh. Sediment cores densely covered with Spartina patens were collected and kept either un-amended or artificially amended with nickel (Ni) under standardized greenhouse conditions. Ni-amendment had no significant effect on the fate of other metals in sediments, however, it increased root uptake of the metals. Metal translocation into the shoots was small for all metals. Higher Ni concentrations in plants from amended cores were accompanied by seasonal reductions in plant biomass, photosynthetic capacity and transfer efficiency of open photosystem II reaction centers; these effects, however, were no longer significant at the end of the growing season. Root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) resembled that of natural salt marshes with up to 20% root length colonized. Although Ni-amendment increased AMF colonization, especially during vegetative growth, in general AMF were largely unaffected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
authors.forename: Kallaya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suntornvongsagul
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Erik P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hamerlynck
authors.forename: Dittmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology; D009532:Nickel / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010788:Photosynthesis; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000032:analysis; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D009532:Nickel