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Effect of selenium fertilization on the accumulation of cadmium and lead in rice plants

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Abstract

Background and Aims

The accumulation of cadmium and lead in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grains is a potential threat to human health. In this study, the effect of selenium fertilization on the uptake and translocation of cadmium and lead in rice plants was investigated.

Methods

Rice plants were cultivated using cadmium and lead contaminated soils with selenium addition at three concentrations (0, 0.5 and 1 mg kg−1). At maturity, plants were harvested, and element concentrations in rice tissues were analyzed by using ICP-MS.

Results

Selenium application significantly increased selenium accumulation in rice grain, and markedly decreased cadmium and lead concentrations in rice tissues. In brown rice grains, selenium application reduced cadmium concentrations by 44.4 %, but had no significant effect on lead accumulation. Selenium application significantly decreased metal mobility in soils, at 0.5 mg kg−1 treatment, the translocation factor of cadmium and lead from soil to iron plaque decreased by 71 and 33 % respectively.

Conclusions

The mechanism of selenium mitigating of heavy metal accumulation in rice could be decreasing metal bioavailability in soil. Selenium fertilization could be an effective and feasible method to enrich selenium and reduce cadmium levels in brown rice.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (21377152, 41371458).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

    Ying Hu, Guilan Duan, Yanchao Huang & Yunxia Liu

  2. Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK

    Gareth John Norton

Authors
  1. Ying Hu
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  2. Gareth John Norton
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  3. Guilan Duan
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  4. Yanchao Huang
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  5. Yunxia Liu
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Correspondence to Guilan Duan.

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Responsible Editor: Henk Schat.

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Hu, Y., Norton, G.J., Duan, G. et al. Effect of selenium fertilization on the accumulation of cadmium and lead in rice plants. Plant Soil 384, 131–140 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2189-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2189-3

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