Uptake of zinc and its effects on nutrient and chlorophyll content in seedlings

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of Forestry, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran

2 Department of Forestry, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran

3 3. Department of Environment, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran

10.22124/cjes.2025.8970

Abstract

Phytoremediation is a method in which plants are used to absorb contaminants. Heavy metals significantly affect plant distributions by competing with nutrients and limiting plant growth. In this study, three-year-old seedlings of Crataegus aronia and Juniperus polycarpos were exposed to different concentrations of zinc nitrate (0, 50, 250, and 500 ppm) in a completely randomized design with three replications. Then, the amounts of zinc uptake in different organs of C. aronia and J. polycarpos seedlings were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy after acid digestion and total chlorophyll content was measured with a spectrophotometer after extraction. The results obtained from the analysis of variance showed that in both species, zinc accumulation increased in roots and stems by elevating the heavy metal concentration and that zinc accumulation was higher in root tissues than in stem tissues in all treatments (p < 0.05). In addition, zinc contamination decreased the concentration of all nutrient contents in leaves and stems of seedlings, and total chlorophyll decreased by 56% in J. polycarpos and 47% in C. aronia. Accordingly, it can be said that the seedlings of C. aronia and J. polycarpos have the ability to prevent the transfer of the metal to aerial parts and to lower its toxicity to the plant by accumulating zinc in the roots. It should be noted that J. polycarpos was a better accumulator of zinc than C. aronia by 33%.

Keywords

Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 12 August 2025

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