Thlaspi caerulescens J. and C. Presl is a Zn-hyperaccumulatingplant which has aroused considerable interest with respect to its possible use for phytoremediation of Zn-contaminated soils. In this work, a British population of T. caerulescens, from a soil which was found to have relatively high concentrations of water-extractable Cu (0.22 mg L-1), Pb (0.99 mg L-1) and Zn (6.49 mg L-1), was studied. Its ability to grow and accumulate Zn from hydroponic nutrient solution in the presence of elevated concentrations of Cu and/or Pb was investigated. The chosen concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were based on reported water-soluble concentrations of these heavy metals in contaminated soils. When supplied with 32.7 mg L-1 Zn, plants accumulated 19 780 mg kg-1 Zn in their shoot dry matter. This concentration declined by 9.3, 87 and 84% respectively when 5.0 mg L-1 Pb, 1.0 mg L-1 Cu or 2.0 mg L-1 Cu were included in the nutrient solution. Despite the apparent adaptation of this population of T. caerulescens to a Zn/Pb/Cu-contaminated soil, these Cu treatments strongly inhibited growth, but the Pb treatment did not affect growth significantly.

This work was financed by the SpanishMinistry of Science and Technology, through project No. REN2001-1113-C02-02.

12 pages, 2 tables, 3 figures.

Peer reviewed