Study on the separation and characterization of cadmium incorporated into Zea Mays L.

Methods of separation and characterization of Cd in Zea Mays L. were studied by means of a radioisotopic technique based on injecting ¹⁰⁹Cd into the plant. Two classic methods for fractionating plant material were compared. Cd was found to occur in all different cell components and a significant activity of Cd in the intracellular liquid is bound to proteins as indicated by chromatography on a molecular sieve. Cd fixed to cell walls exchanges entirely after selective solvent extraction with H₂O, KNO₃, HAc, HCl. Our results indicate Cd‐binding sites in stems.