Subhajit Nan, Amity University, Kolkata
Scientists discovered a chemical mechanism performed by the roots of a leguminous plant that effectively ‘cleans’ the adjoining soil of arsenic contamination.
What is arsenic contamination?
Soil pollution occurs in a variety of ways, one of which is due to arsenic. It is a highly toxic mineral element. Its presence in the soil in large amounts can be fatal for human health and the surrounding environment. Arsenic contamination of the soil has been a worldwide problem for quite some time now.
Purpose of the Study
Scientists have now found a way in which soils contaminated by arsenic can be revived. The idea is to use the natural mechanisms which have evolved in certain plants for arsenic-contamination tolerance to our advantage.
White lupin, known to the scientific community as ‘L. albus’, is a leguminous plant that has been found to have the aforesaid arsenic tolerance. The plant is being considered as a suitable candidate for the sustainable remediation of arsenic-polluted soils.
The mechanism responsible for the arsenic tolerance in white lupin is believed to be carried out by its roots. It is inferred that the roots of this leguminous plant release certain chemicals directly into the polluted soil.
Salient Features of the Study
The scientists placed nylon pouches close to the roots of the white lupin in the soil to capture the released molecules, without causing any damage to its root system.
The complex collection of molecules in the pouches were then analyzed using advanced chemical profiling. This was done to identify those compounds which are released by the plant as their natural response to the stress conditions of soil arsenic contamination.
These compounds were found to be capable of binding with metals when exposed to high concentrations of arsenic in the soil. Some of the released metal-binding molecules, such as phytochelatins, were previously known to be used by plants to internally deal with metal stress. However, they were caught and identified among the released plant chemicals into polluted arsenic-contaminated soils in this study for the first time.
Limitations of the Study
Despite this discovery, the exact nature of all the released chemical compounds is still unknown. This is due to the complexity of these under-the-ground molecular interactions performed by the released chemical compounds. It makes them extremely difficult to analyze and study.
Conclusion
This ground-breaking discovery has expanded the scope of research in this aspect. Future studies are expected to focus on a more detailed analysis of the exact chemical interactions happening between the roots and the soil below the ground. This includes exploration of some other plant species and interactions with regular soil microorganisms. The goal should be to address the diverse soil pollution around the globe.
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Reference:
- Frémont, A., Sas, E., Sarrazin, M., Gonzalez, E., Brisson, J., Pitre, F. E., & Brereton, N. J. B. (2021). Phytochelatin and coumarin enrichment in root exudates of arsenic‐treated white lupin. Plant, Cell & Environment, pce.14163. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.14163
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Author info:
Subhajit Nan is an aspiring biotechnologist, living in Kolkata. He is currently in his second year, pursuing a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in the field, from Amity University, Kolkata. He has completed his schooling at Calcutta Boys’ School in the Science stream. He has a keen interest in scientific research and writing. He likes debating, playing chess, and swimming in various competitions.
Other Publications of the Author: –
- https://bioxone.in/news/cpt1%CE%B1-the-key-to-kidney-damage-repair/
- https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/ectogenesis-the-key-to-post-apocalyptic-human-survival/
- https://bioxone.in/news/cellular-genetics-the-real-secret-behind-cnidarian-immortality/
- https://bioxone.in/news/new-structural-model-of-the-dna-protein-complex/
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