Exploring element accumulation patterns of a metal excluder plant naturally colonizing a highly contaminated soil

This work investigates the element distribution in Silene paradoxa growing on the mine dump of Fenice Capanne (Tuscany, Italy). The accumulation of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in root apoplast and symplast and in shoot was assessed and compared to the levels of the same metals in the respective rizosphere soils, analyzing both the total and the phytoavailable fractions. Levels of As, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn, were above toxicity thresholds in both soil and shoot samples. Inter- and intra-element correlations were analyzed in plant and soil using different statistical methods. Soil total and phytoavailable metal concentration were shown not to be dominant in determining metal accumulation by the plant, since no significant positive correlation was found between metal concentration in soils and plants. Moreover, results indicated that S. paradoxa was able to cope with the studied multi-metal contaminated soil excluding the elements from its tissues and preferentially accumulating them into the root compartment, thus suggesting this species as possible good candidate for phytostabilization purposes.