Title: Growth response and tolerance of Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L) to arsenic in spiked soils

Authors: Zhao-hui Guo, Zhe-xiang He, Kang-gen Zhou

Addresses: Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China. ' Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China. ' Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China

Abstract: Job|s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.), a perennial herbaceous plant, was cultured in soils spiked by arsenic. The results show that Job|s tears rapidly grows with high biomass and strongly tolerates with normal accumulation for As in lightly or moderately spiked soils. It insensitively responds to As changes when the content of As in soils is less than 40 mg kg⁻¹ while the concentration of As in tissues significantly increases and most of it accumulates in roots when the concentration of As in soils is more than 80 mg kg⁻¹. Job|s tears is helpful to eco-remediate lightly or moderately As-contaminated soils.

Keywords: arsenic; Job|s tears; Coix lacryma-jobi L; growth response; stress environment; tolerance ability; biomass; eco-remediation; remediation; soil contamination; environmental pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2009.025112

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2009 Vol.37 No.2/3, pp.133 - 140

Published online: 13 May 2009 *

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