Effect of Glomus mosseae on accumulation efficiency, hazard index and antioxidant defense mechanisms in tomato under metal(loid) Stress

ABSTRACT

In the present study, the phytoremedation potential along with growth, physiological and biochemical response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) was assessed under heavy metal(loid) (HM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) amendment. Effect of AMF on uptake and accumulation of metal(loid)s was assessed and accumulation characteristics were expressed in terms of bioabsorption coefficient (BAC), bioconcentration factor (BCF), translocation factor (TLF) and transfer factor (TF). Results showed that AMF-inoculated plants showed not only a better growth, chlorophyll content, strengthened non-enzymatic and enzymatic defense mechanism, but also accumulated higher concentration of metal(loid)s. The correlation between biochemical and physiological parameters was significant at 0.01 level. A significant difference (p ≤ 0.001) in antioxidant enzyme activity was found on increasing metal(loid) dose and application of AMF. The accumulation of Cd and Pb in edible part exceeded the chronic reference dose stated by USEPA. The target hazard quotient (THQ) was >1 for Cd and Pb, whereas <1 for As. The study shows that tomato has good potential as Cd and Pb phytoremediator, hence must not be consumed when grown on Cd or Pb contaminated sites.

KEYWORDS:

• mycorrhiza
• target hazard quotient
• phytoremediation

Additional information

Funding

Junior Research Fellowship to Ritu Chaturvedi (08/109(0011)/2013- EMR-I) by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi is duly acknowledged. We thank the support of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE. We also thank University Grants Commission for granting Post Doctoral Fellowship (/PDFSS-2014-15- SC-UTT-8854) to Mayank Varun.