Salt Distribution in Common Reed Biomass at Increased Salinity

Abstract

This article describes salt distribution (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+) in halophytic plants, common reed (Phragmites australis) taken from four locations in Ostrava - Důl Lazy, Karvinský potok, Heřmanický rybník, Nový rybník. The research aimed to find out where salts, but also other elements acting as contaminants in the environment are stored, how they are distributed, what physiognomic changes they cause in the plant, and to what extent common reed can face the stress conditions of salinity in the phytoremediation process.
The experiment took place under controllable conditions in the phytotron - temperature 25 °C, light regime 12 hours day/12 hours night, air humidity 60 %, light intensity 150 μmol.m-2.s-1. Bunches of reeds were subjected to gradual salinization with 1% to 5% Darkov salt solutions. Biomass samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) methods.
Based on the results of measurements conducted using the AAS and NAA methods, it can be concluded that the dominant element in the reed beds at all four specified sites of interest is potassium. It is bioaccumulated in the aboveground part of the plant. The highest concentration of potassium was found in the aboveground part of the reeds from the Karvinský potok site; the lowest was observed in the aboveground part of the reeds from the Nový rybník site.
The growth analysis was not conducted according to the methodology, but another interesting finding is that reed beds from the Nový rybník site exhibited the best tolerance to salt stress and the gradual process of salinization with 1% to 5% solutions of Darkov salt.