Effect of infection with Glomus mosseae on cadmium uptake in vetiver grass [Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty]

Cadmium contamination in mine tailings is of especial concern due not only to the high toxicity of cadmium but also the prevalence of cadmium in sites contaminated with other heavy metals. Chrysopogon zizanioides [(L.) Roberty], or vetiver grass, is a commonly used phtyoremediator of heavy metals due not only to its high tolerance of these metals but relatively high uptake. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae is thought to aid in uptake and plant survival under high stress conditions such as heavy metal toxicity. The uptake of cadmium, as well as photosynthetic rate, and enzyme activity was tested in both infected and non-infected vetiver plants to determine the impact of G. mosseae on the remediation rate of cadmium. Three soil contamination levels were used to represent various degrees of pollution.;In this laboratory study, vetiver plants were grown in one of four soil treatment levels (0, 10, 20 and 40ppm Cd) with and without infection by G. mosseae. Millhopper soil was used to grow the plants, which were watered every three days with DI water and allowed to grow for three weeks. After three weeks of growth, final plant weights were taken, and then samples were taken to run enzyme tests before the remaining plant tissues were dried and digested for ICP-MS analysis. It was observed that at two treatment levels, inoculation served to mediate the effects of cadmium toxicity on the plants, as well as increase the cadmium concentrations in the shoot material of the plant. The 20ppm sample was determined to be non-representative on the basis of the variation within the sample set.