Lithium toxicity in plants: Reasons, mechanisms and remediation possibilities - A review.
Lithium (Li) is a naturally occurring element; however, it is one of the non-essential metals for life. Lithium is becoming a serious matter of discussion for the people who do research on trace metals and environmental toxicity in plants. Due to limited information available regarding its mobility from soil to plants, the adverse effects of Li toxicity to plants are still unclear. This article briefly discusses issues around Li, its role and its essentiality in plants and research directions that may assist in inter-disciplinary studies to evaluate the importance of Li's toxicity. Further, potential remediation approaches will also be highlighted in this review. Briefly, Li influenced the growth of plants in both stimulation and reduction ways, depending on the concentration of Li in growth medium. On the negative side, Li reduces the plant growth by interrupting numerous physiological processes and altering metabolism in plant. The contamination of soil by Li is becoming a serious problem, which might be a threat for crop production in the near future. Additionally, lack of considerable information about the tolerance mechanisms of plants further intensifies the situation. Therefore, future research should emphasize in finding prominent and approachable solutions to minimize the entry of Li from its sources (especially from Li batteries) into the soil and food chain.
Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Babar
B
Shahzad
School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania Hobart, Australia; College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan, China. Electronic address: Mohsin.tanveer@utas.edu.au.
Mohsin
M
Tanveer
Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
Waseem
W
Hassan
College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan, China.
Adnan Noor
AN
Shah
Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Shakeel Ahmad
SA
Anjum
Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Sardar Alam
SA
Cheema
Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Iftikhar
I
Ali
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental / Q000187:drug effects; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D008094:Lithium / Q000633:toxicity*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects*
D008094:Lithium
Effects and mobility; Lithium; Physiology; Plant growth; Research perspectives