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Abstract
High-arsenic groundwater in inland basins usually contains high concentrations of fluoride. In the present study, the effects of fluoride on arsenic uptake by Pteris vittata and on arsenic transformation in growth media were investigated under greenhouse conditions. After P. vittata was hydroponically exposed to 66.8 μM As (V) in the presence of 1.05 mM F− in the form of NaF, KF, or NaF+KF for 10 d, no visible toxicity symptoms were observed, and there were not significant differences in the dry biomass among the four treatments. The results showed that P. vittata tolerated F− concentrations as high as 1.05 mM but did not accumulate fluoride in their own tissues. Arsenic uptake was inhibited in the presence of 1.05 mM F−. However, in hydroponic batches with 60 μM As (III) or 65 μM As (V), it was found that 210.6 and 316.0 μM F− promoted arsenic uptake. As(III) was oxidized to As(V) in the growth media in the presence and absence of plants, and F− had no effect on the rate of As(III) transformation. These experiments demonstrated that P. vittata was a good candidate to remediate arsenic-contaminated groundwater in the presence of fluoride. Our results can be used to develop strategies to remediate As-F-contaminated water using P. vittata.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Dr. Mei Lei for her invaluable laboratory assistance.
Funding
This study was financially supported by the Cultivation Fund of the Key Scientific and Technical Innovation Project, Ministry of Education of China (No. 708012), the Science & Technology Fund Planning Project of High School in Tianjin (No.20100901), the Technology Development Fund of Tianjin University of Science (No. LGYM201006), and the Tianjin Research Program of Application Foundation and Advanced Technology (No. 11JCZDJC25000).