Effect of arsenic on concentrations and translocations of mineral elements in the xylem of rice

ABSTRACT

By using Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique, the effect of arsenic (As) on the mineral contents and translocation in the xylem of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. ‘Akihikari’) was studied. The results suggest that exogenous As increased the concentrations of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), and manganese (Mn) in xylem, while the concentrations of potassium (K) remained unchanged. The highest concentration of As to the rice roots did not have any clear effect on the translocation of P, Ca, S, and chlorine (Cl) in the xylem, indicating that the increasing concentrations of the minerals may be due to a condensation effect, resulting from the repression of water movement in xylem by As-toxicity. Among the metal micronutrients, As decreased the concentrations and translocations of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu).

KEYWORDS:

• arsenic
• Cl
• Cu
• Fe
• Mn
• P
• PIXE
• S
• xylem fluid
• Zn

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Abidur Rahman, Associate Professor, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan for improving the English of the manuscript.

Funding

The first author is grateful to the Japanese Government for providing the Monbukagakusho Scholarship, which enabled him to do this research.