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A new two-step screening method for prospecting of trace element accumulating plants
Gałuszka, A.; Krzciuk, K. & Migaszewski, Z. M.
Abstract
A vulnerable point of the currently used
approach to the search for the new species capable of
abnormal accumulation (hyperaccumulation) of trace elements
is that most studies have been conducted in laboratory
conditions and focused on the determination of a
limited number of elements. We propose a methodology
that enables screening for multi-element accumulating
plants. This methodology is based on two analytical steps:
a semiquantitative analysis mode by ICP-MS that allows
selection of plant samples which are enriched in one or
more trace elements, and a quantitative analysis necessary
for confirmation of the results derived from the first step.
The proposed methodology was tested in the study of 30
plant samples. Ten elements with the highest concentrations
obtained in the semiquantitative analyses were
determined quantitatively with the following detection
limits (in mg/kg): 0.001 for Ag, 0.08 for Ba, 0.002 for Cd,
0.005 for Co, 0.01 for Cr, 0.003 for Cu, 1.4 for Fe, 0.012
for Mn, 0.03 for Ni, 0.006 for Pb, 0.001 for Sc, 0.001 for Tl
and 0.06 for Zn. The CRM recovery values obtained were
in the range of 80–103 %, and the precision of the measurements
(as RSD) was in the range of 0.34–4.05 %. We
also propose a simple method for evaluation of typical
element concentrations in plants collected for analyses. Our
approach provides a novel screening method for both
identification of new hyperaccumulators and for studying a
larger number of elements accumulated by plants. This
method may find its application in environmental
biotechnology.
Keywords
Hyperaccumulators; ICP-MS; Semiquantitative analysis; Trace elements
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