title: Can physiological endpoints improve the sensitivity of assays with plants in the risk assessment of contaminated soils?
abstract: Site-specific risk assessment of contaminated areas indicates prior areas for intervention, and provides helpful information for risk managers. This study was conducted in the Ervedosa mine area (Bragança, Portugal), where both underground and open pit exploration of tin and arsenic minerals were performed for about one century (1857-1969). We aimed at obtaining ecotoxicological information with terrestrial and aquatic plant species to integrate in the risk assessment of this mine area. Further we also intended to evaluate if the assessment of other parameters, in standard assays with terrestrial plants, can improve the identification of phytotoxic soils. For this purpose, soil samples were collected on 16 sampling sites distributed along four transects, defined within the mine area, and in one reference site. General soil physical and chemical parameters, total and extractable metal contents were analyzed. Assays were performed for soil elutriates and for the whole soil matrix following standard guidelines for growth inhibition assay with Lemna minor and emergence and seedling growth assay with Zea mays. At the end of the Z. mays assay, relative water content, membrane permeability, leaf area, content of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), malondialdehyde levels, proline content, and chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm and ΦPSII) parameters were evaluated. In general, the soils near the exploration area revealed high levels of Al, Mn, Fe and Cu. Almost all the soils from transepts C, D and F presented total concentrations of arsenic well above soils screening benchmark values available. Elutriates of several soils from sampling sites near the exploration and ore treatment areas were toxic to L. minor, suggesting that the retention function of these soils was seriously compromised. In Z. mays assay, plant performance parameters (other than those recommended by standard protocols), allowed the identification of more phytotoxic soils. The results suggest that these parameters could improve the sensitivity of the standard assays.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gavina
authors.forename: Sara C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: Glória
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Claro
authors.forename: Conceição
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D029064:Araceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D001151:Arsenic; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D018525:Germination; D008670:Metals; D008906:Mining; D011174:Portugal; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014001:Tin; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014001:Tin; D001151:Arsenic
references.citation: Environ Pollut. 2011 Jul;159(7):1844-51
references.pmid: 21514022
references.citation: Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2010 Sep;73(6):1309-13
references.pmid: 20655589
references.citation: Environ Pollut. 2007 Jan;145(1):121-30
references.pmid: 16777287
references.citation: Chemosphere. 2008 Jun;72(5):763-71
references.pmid: 18472140
references.citation: C R Acad Sci III. 1999 Jan;322(1):43-54
references.pmid: 10047953
references.citation: J Exp Bot. 2000 Apr;51(345):659-68
references.pmid: 10938857
references.citation: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2007 Jul;14(5):308-18
references.pmid: 17722765
references.citation: Mar Pollut Bull. 2002 Mar;44(3):244-56
references.pmid: 11954742
references.citation: EMBO Rep. 2005 Jul;6(7):629-34
references.pmid: 15995679
references.citation: J Hazard Mater. 2010 Nov 15;183(1-3):833-8
references.pmid: 20728270
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2000 Jun 22;256(1):59-65
references.pmid: 10898387
references.citation: Biochimie. 2006 Nov;88(11):1707-19
references.pmid: 16914250
references.citation: Mar Pollut Bull. 2011 Aug;62(8):1628-31
references.pmid: 21724206
references.citation: Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 1998 Jul;40(3):194-200
references.pmid: 9679681
references.citation: Chemosphere. 2001 Jul;44(3):491-500
references.pmid: 11459155
references.citation: Chemosphere. 2006 Mar;62(8):1311-23
references.pmid: 16169046
references.citation: Ecotoxicology. 2010 Jan;19(1):216-22
references.pmid: 19757030
references.citation: Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2010 Jul;73(5):961-9
references.pmid: 20189647
references.citation: J Exp Bot. 2003 Nov;54(392):2553-62
references.pmid: 14512386
references.citation: J Environ Sci (China). 2007;19(6):725-32
references.pmid: 17969647
references.citation: J Environ Sci (China). 2008;20(2):199-206
references.pmid: 18574962
references.citation: Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2006 Feb;50(2):182-90
references.pmid: 16307215
references.citation: Chemosphere. 2007 Jul;68(8):1563-75
references.pmid: 17434568
references.citation: Planta. 1987 Apr;170(4):489-504
references.pmid: 24233012
references.citation: Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2010 May;84(5):606-12
references.pmid: 20414639
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2005 Jun 15;346(1-3):256-73
references.pmid: 15993699
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2006 Mar 15;357(1-3):120-7
references.pmid: 15982719
references.citation: J Photochem Photobiol B. 2010 Dec 2;101(3):332-9
references.pmid: 20829059