Cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) accumulation in different organs of basil plants

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is one of the most common aromatic plants which is grown in the urban environment, due to its aesthetic, nutritional, and therapeutic value. However, in many studies, it is reported that basil accumulates high concentrations of heavy metals when irrigated with contaminated water or exposed to aerial pollution. This study aimed to investigate the heavy metals accumulation (Cd and Ni) in different plant organs (root, shoots, leaves) of basil plants grown for a short period in a greenhouse. For that reason, 33 basil potted plants were divided into three treatments groups where: a) two solutions of 250 mL contained 10 mg L-1 Cd(ΝΟ3)2 4Η2Ο and 20 mg L-1 Ni(ΝΟ3)2 6Η2Ο, respectively, were applied to nine plants per treatment every 2 weeks through irrigation, b) foliar application of 240 mg CdO and 450 mg NiO plant-1 was performed after plants transplanting in three plants per treatment, and c) nine control plants were irrigated only with tap water. The results at the end of the experiment, indicated that: a) plants irrigated with Cd contaminated water, showed high Cd concentrations in leaves (257.02 mg kg-1 dw), while those irrigated with Ni contaminated water had the highest concentration of Ni in shoots (761.52 mg kg-1 dw), b) plants treated with heavy metals foliar application, presented high Cd concentration in new leaves (3722 mg kg-1 dw) while the highest concentration in Ni was detected in shoots (5237 mg kg-1 dw), c) control plants displayed high concentrations of Ni in shoots and leaves similar to plants irrigated with Ni contaminated water. From the above, it results that basil plants can accumulate high amounts of Cd and Ni in shoots and leaves either through irrigation with contaminated water or by elements foliar deposition. © 2022 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.