Halophytes are able to tolerate relatively high concentrations of hazardous metals in a growing substrate, what makes them suitable candidates for phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils. In ...this work, we aimed to study the physiological responses of the halophyte
Sesuvium portulacastrum
L. to Ni, with main focus on Ni localization, compartmentation and ligand environment, to decipher Ni tolerance and toxicity mechanisms. Seedlings were grown in hydroponic nutrient solution containing 0, 25, 50 and 100 μM Ni as NiCl
2
for 3 weeks. Ni localization in leaves was assessed by micro-proton-induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE). Ni ligand environment was studied by Ni K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). In addition, Ni-soluble, weakly bound/exchangeable and insoluble leaf tissue fractions were determined by sequential extraction. Results show that
S. portulacastrum
is able to tolerate up to ~ 500 μg g
−1
dry weight (DW) of Ni in the shoots without significant growth reduction. At higher Ni concentrations (> 50 μM Ni in nutrient solution), chloroses were observed due to the accumulation of Ni in photosynthetically active chlorenchyma as revealed by micro-PIXE. Water storage tissue represented the main pool for Ni storage. Incorporation of Ni into Ca-oxalate crystals was also observed in some specimens, conferring tolerance to high leaf Ni concentrations. The majority of Ni (> 70%) was found in soluble tissue fraction. Ni K XANES revealed Ni bound mainly to O- (55%) and N-ligands (45%). Ni toxicity at higher Ni levels was associated with Ni binding to amino groups of proteins in cytosol of chlorenchyma and increased level of lipid peroxidation. Proline levels also increased at high Ni exposures and were associated with Ni-induced oxidative stress and alteration of water regime.
Calcium chromates with the empirical formulas Ca10Cr6−O25, Ca3Cr2O8, and Ca5Cr3O12, which form at temperatures >900°C at CaO:Cr2O3 molar ratios of 3 in an oxidation atmosphere have been synthesized ...in the pure state. X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy has been used to determine the average valence state of chromium in the samples. The presence of unusual chromium valence states, 4+ and 5+, which was proposed via X‐ray diffractometry studies, is strongly supported.
Display omitted
•Lactuca sativa were exposed to different AgNPs at different concentrations.•Accumulation of AgNPs depends on their size and concentration.•NP characteristics and concentration has an ...influence on their transport to shoots.•Appearance of Ag-O/Ag-S bonds indicated the dissolution of some NPs in roots.•Transpiration and stomatal conductance were affected after being exposed to AgNPs.
The broad use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in daily life products enhances their possibilities to reach the environment. Therefore, it is important to understand the uptake, translocation and biotransformation in plants and the toxicological impacts derived from these biological processes. In this work, Lactuca sativa (lettuce) was exposed during 9 days to different coated (citrate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol) and sized (60, 75, 100 nm) AgNPs at different concentrations (1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 mg L−1). Total silver measurements in lettuce roots indicated that accumulation of AgNPs is influenced by size and concentration, but not by nanoparticle coating. On the other hand, nanosilver translocation to shoots was more pronounced for neutral charged and large sized NPs at higher NP concentrations. Single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis, after an enzymatic digestion of lettuce tissues indicated the dissolution of some NPs. Ag K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis corroborated the AgNPs dissolution due to the presence of less Ag-Ag bonds and appearance of Ag-O and/or Ag-S bonds in lettuce roots. Toxicological effects on lettuces were observed after exposure to nanosilver, especially for transpiration and stomatal conductance. These findings indicated that AgNPs can enter to edible plants, exerting toxicological effects on them.
In this study, the particular effects of A-site donor doping, such as crystal-structure change, the secondary-phase formation and the grain-size decrease, in a lead-free piezoceramic material ...K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) doped with Sr2+, were investigated. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses proved that Sr occupies the perovskite A-sublattice, and locally modifies the KNN monoclinic structure to cubic. Introducing Sr into the A-sublattice, as well as accounting for the charge-compensating A-site vacancies in the starting composition, causes increasing lattice disorder and microstrain, as determined from a Rietveld refinement of the synchrotron X-ray diffraction data. Above 2% Sr the system segregates the A-site vacancies in a secondary phase in order to release the chemical pressure, as revealed by Raman spectroscopy. All these effects result in an increasing number of low-angle grain boundaries that limit the grain growth and finally lead to a significant grain-size decrease.
The structure of Mn
0.5
Zn
0.5
Fe
2
O
4
spinel ferrite nanoparticles is studied as a function of their size and the experimental conditions of their synthesis using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The ...nanoparticles of different sizes down to approximately 2 nm and with a narrow size distribution were synthesized using co-precipitation in reverse microemulsions. Simultaneous refinement of the X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) of three constituting metals shows a migration of Mn and Zn ions to the octahedral site of the spinel lattice compensated by the corresponding migration of the Fe ions. To a smaller extent, Mn ions switch the occupation site already in bulk and in larger nanoparticles, while a sporadic migration of Zn is detected only in the nanoparticles with sizes below approximately 5 nm. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) reveals considerable variations in the position of the Mn
K
edge, suggesting the average Mn valence in the nanoparticles to be higher than 3+. Annealing at 500 °C relaxes the structure of as-synthesized nanoparticles toward the structure of the ceramic bulk standard.
A strain of Klebsiella oxytoca DSM 29614 is grown on sodium citrate in the presence of 50 mg l−1 of Hg as Hg(NO3)2. During growth, the strain produces an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), ...constituted by a mixture of proteins and a specific exopolysaccharide. The protein components, derived from the outer membrane of cells, are co-extracted with the extracellular exopolysaccharide using ethanol. The extracted EPS contains 7.5% of Hg (total amount). This indicates that EPS is an excellent material for the biosorption of Hg2+, through chemical complexation with the EPS components. The binding capacity of these species towards Hg2+ is studied by cyclic voltammetry, and Hg L3-edge XANES and EXAFS spectroscopy. The results found indicate that Hg2+ is mainly bound to the nitrogen of the imidazole ring or other N-heterocycle compounds. The hydroxyl moities of sugars and/or the carboxyl groups of two glucuronic acids in the polysaccharide can also play an important role in sequestring Hg2+ ions. However, N-heterocyclic groups of proteins bind Hg2+ faster than hydroxyl and carboxyl groups of the polysaccharide.
Display omitted
•A strain of Klebsiella oxytoca tolerates the Hg(II) toxicity by producing a specific EPS.•The EPS contains a specific exopolysaccharide and outer membrane proteins.•The protein fraction of EPS is rich of histidine which binds quickly Hg2+.•Cyclic Voltammetry analysis indicates the Hg2+ complexing properties of EPS.•The EXAFS model indicates imidazole rings as the major ligands for Hg(II).
Display omitted
•In non-AM plants Hg is bound in di-thiolate and di-amino complexes.•In AM plants Hg-tetra-thiolate complexes are also present.•In AM plants the amount of tetra-thiolate complexes ...increases with arbuscular density.•Hg-tetra-thiolate complexes are attributed to the fungal partner.
Mercury (Hg) – plant – fungal interactions are only poorly studied. Hg speciation and ligand environment in maize roots inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were investigated in order to better understand the role of AM in Hg soil to root transfer.
The maize plants were grown in Hg polluted substrate (50μgg−1 as dissolved HgCl2) and inoculated with AM fungi originating from: a) highly Hg polluted environment of a former Hg smelting site in Idrija, Slovenia, (Glomus sp. – sample AmI), and b) non-polluted environment (commercial AM inoculum Symbivit® – sample AmC). Hg speciation and ligand environment in maize roots was studied by Hg-L3 XANES and EXAFS with emphasis on XAS methodology – modelling and fitting the XAFS spectra to extract in a reliable way as much information on Hg coordination as possible.
The AmI plants developed more arbuscules and less vesicles than the AmC plants, and also accumulated more Hg in the roots. A clear difference in Hg coordination between the AM (AmC & AmI) and the control (ConC & ConI) plants is recognized in Hg L3-edge EXAFS analysis: in the ConC & ConI maize roots 73–80% of Hg is attached between two sulphur atoms at the distance of 2.34Å. The remaining ligand is nitrogen at 2.04Å. In AmI & AmC roots another Hg-S attachment encompassing four thiol groups at the S-distance of ∼2.50Å are identified, accounting for 21–26%. AM fungi can modify Hg ligand environment in plant roots, thus playing an important role in biogeochemical cycling of Hg in terrestrial ecosystems.
The Co–ferrite nanoparticles having a relatively uniform size distribution around 8 nm were synthesized by three different methods. A simple co-precipitation from aqueous solutions and a ...co-precipitation in an environment of microemulsions are low temperature methods (50 °C), whereas a thermal decomposition of organo-metallic complexes was performed at elevated temperature of 290 °C. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) showed spinel structure, and the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) a good crystallinity of all the nanoparticles. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed the composition close to stoichiometric (~CoFe
2
O
4
) for both co-precipitated nanoparticles, whereas the nanoparticles prepared by the thermal decomposition were Co-deficient (~Co
0.6
Fe
2.4
O
4
). The X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis showed Co valence of 2+ in all the samples, Fe valence 3+ in both co-precipitated samples, but average Fe valence of 2.7+ in the sample synthesized by thermal decomposition. The variations in cation distribution within the spinel lattice were observed by structural refinement of X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Like the bulk CoFe
2
O
4
, the nanoparticles synthesized at elevated temperature using thermal decomposition displayed inverse spinel structure with the Co ions occupying predominantly octahedral lattice sites, whereas co-precipitated samples showed considerable proportion of cobalt ions occupying tetrahedral sites (nearly 1/3 for the nanoparticles synthesized by co-precipitation from aqueous solutions and almost 1/4 for the nanoparticles synthesized in microemulsions). Magnetic measurements performed at room temperature and at 10 K were in good agreement with the nanoparticles’ composition and the cation distribution in their structure. The presented study clearly shows that the distribution of the cations within the spinel lattice of the ferrite nanoparticles, and consequently their magnetic properties are strongly affected by the synthesis method used.
PDF
