Evaluating the diffusive gradients in thin films technique for the prediction of metal bioaccumulation in plants grown in river sediments

Abstract

The diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique is a useful tool for assessing metal bioavailability in sediments. However, the DGT technique has not been used to predict metal bioaccumulation in plants grown in sediments in river systems. In this study, the DGT technique was evaluated for predicting metal bioaccumulation in Phragmites australis growing in contaminated sediments. In sediments with high levels of contamination, release of DGT-labile Cr, Zn, Cu, and Cd occurred, which resulted in high bioaccumulation of these metals in P. australis. Bioaccumulation of Cr, Cu, Zn, and Cd was strongly correlated with the metal concentrations in the sediments measured by the DGT technique. By contrast, the correlation between sediment content and bioaccumulation for As was weak. There were significant negative correlations between the content of Ni in the plant tissues and the contents of the other metals. Overall, the DGT technique provided predictions of metal bioaccumulation similar to those obtained using total metal measurements in multiple polluted sediment samples. Therefore, DGT analysis could be used for assessing heavy metal bioavailability, and metal bioaccumulation in P. australis was not all significantly correlated with the bioavailability concentrations of metals in river sediments.

Keywords: Bioaccumulation; Diffusive gradients in thin films; Metal; River sediment.