Arsenic hyperaccumulation efficiency depends on time and tissue in Pteris vittata

The metalloid arsenic is a toxic environmental pollutant. Arsenic pollution becomes serious due to mining, mineral, smelting and tannery industry. Leaching of naturally occurring arsenic into drinking water aquifers, has been reported in many countries including India and Bangladesh. Available engineering methods for remediation is costly and difficult. Many plant species reported to accumulate arsenic. Pteris vittata has been reported as arsenic hyperaccumulator. An Indian eco-type of P. vittata has been used to study the arsenic accumulation. The plants were grown in arsenic containing soil along with soil without arsenic (control). The ferns were separated into two portions, i.e., above ground (fronds), stage specific as well as tissues from different position of pinnae and below ground (roots and rhizomes). Futher, it was also harvested at different time interval. Dried fern samples (0.1 g) were digested with mixture of concentrated nitric acid and perchloric acid. Heavy metal measurement in foliar and root samples was performed with ICP-OES. Tissue specific arsenic accumulation indicates that juvenile leaf contains highest arsenic than mature leaf. Middle pinnae of mature leaf show high arsenic content compared to upper and lower pinnae. Among the underground parts of the plant, rhizome contains high arsenic than roots. Further, time dependent arsenic accumulation study indicates that active accumulation of arsenic starts from day 7 to day 30 in leaf tissue, while in roots, day 3 to 7 show sudden increase and no much drastic change in accumulation from day 7 onwards