Effectiveness of Fe³⁺-citrate and Fe³⁺-edta in ameliorating arsenic-toxicity (chlorosis) in hydroponic rice

ABSTRACT

Effectiveness of iron (Fe³⁺)-citrate and Fe³⁺-EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in reducing arsenic (As)-toxicity in rice was evaluated. The treatments: 1) 0 µM As + 10 µM Fe³⁺-citrate (control), 2) 13.4 µM As + 10 µM Fe³⁺-citrate (As-treated), 3) 13.4 µM As + 10 µM Fe³⁺-citrate + 40 µM Fe³⁺-citrate (additional Fe³⁺-citrate), and 4) 13.4 µM As + 10 µM Fe³⁺-citrate + 40 µM Fe³⁺-EDTA (additional Fe³⁺-EDTA) were studied for 14 days. Chlorosis was found in the young leaves of the As-treated plants. Additional Fe³⁺-citrate failed to remediate the chlorosis, however, additional Fe³⁺-EDTA removed the chlorosis almost completely, indicating that the effectiveness of Fe³⁺-EDTA was much higher than Fe³⁺-citrate. The Fe³⁺-EDTA treated plants were greener than the additional Fe³⁺-citrate treated plants. Iron concentration in the shoots of additional Fe³⁺-EDTA plants was much higher than that of additional Fe³⁺-citrate plants, indicating that Fe³⁺-EDTA might have been more readily available to the plants roots than Fe³⁺-citrate.

KEYWORDS:

• Arsenic-iron complex
• critical toxicity level
• growth response
• iron salts
• reduction

Funding

The first author wishes to express appreciation to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Government of Japan for financial support.