title: Interactions between salt marsh plants and Cu nanoparticles - Effects on metal uptake and phytoremediation processes.
abstract: The increased use of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) raises the probability of finding NPs in the environment. A lot of information exists already regarding interactions between plants and metals, but information regarding interactions between metallic NPs and plants, including salt marsh plants, is still lacking. This work aimed to study interactions between CuO NPs and the salt marsh plants Halimione portulacoides and Phragmites australis. In addition, the potential of these plants for phytoremediation of Cu NPs was evaluated. Plants were exposed for 8 days to sediment elutriate solution doped either with CuO or with ionic Cu. Afterwards, total metal concentrations were determined in plant tissues. Both plants accumulated Cu in their roots, but this accumulation was 4 to 10 times lower when the metal was added in NP form. For P. australis, metal translocation occurred when the metal was added either in ionic or in NP form, but for H. portulacoides no metal translocation was observed when NPs were added to the medium. Therefore, interactions between plants and NPs differ with the plant species. These facts should be taken in consideration when applying these plants for phytoremediation of contaminated sediments in estuaries, as the environmental management of these very important ecological areas can be affected.
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal; Department of Agriculture and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andreotti
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mucha
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cátia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rocha Gomes
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: calmeida@ciimar.up.pt.
authors.forename: C Marisa R
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D027703:Amaranthaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D006109:Poaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D054712:Salinity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003300:Copper
keywords: Estuarine environment; Halimione portulacoides; Metallic nanoparticles; Phragmites australis