Concentration of micronutrient in Azola at cadmium and salinity contaminated environment

Rapid technological advances in recent decades are despite the many benefits for human, exposed the natural resources and environmental components to various contaminants such as heavy and toxic metals.

In order to evaluate the potential of azolla, to absorb cadmium and micronutrient from solution contaning different concentrations of salinity, a factorial experiment with completely randomized design and three replications were conducted in the greenhouse. Cadmium was used from cadmium sulfate at the levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/liter using Epestin nutrient solution. The concentrations of NaCl in Epestin nutrient solutions were 0, 10, 20, 40 and 80 mM.

The azolla accumulated high concentration of cadmium solutions in their tissues. Assessing the effect of salinity on cadmium of the azolla indicated that increase in salinity levels of nutrient solution, increased cadmium concentration. Cadmium solutions increasing concentrations of cadmium (in plant), sodium, manganese, copper and decrease iron and zinc. Salinity treatments increased cadmium and sodium and decreasing concentrations of iron, zinc, manganese and copper. Mutual effects of cadmium and salinity treatments increased cadmium and sodium and decreasing concentrations of iron and zinc.

Aplications of cadmium and salinity decreased the growth rate of azolla and even caused death where their concentrations were high.