Combined toxicity of copper and cadmium to six rice genotypes (Oryza sativa L.)

Accumulations of copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) in six rice cultivars (94D-22, 94D-54, 94D-64, Gui630, YY-1, and KY1360) were evaluated through exposure to heavy metal contamination (100 mg/kg Cu, 1.0 mg/kg Cd, and 100 mg/kg Cu + 1.0 mg/kg Cd) in a greenhouse. The dry weights of shoot and root, concentrations of Cu and Cd in plant tissues and the Cu, Cd, P, Fe concentrations in the root surface iron plaques were analyzed eight weeks later after treatment. The results indicated that the plant biomass was mainly determined by rice genotypes, not Cu and Cd content in soil. Separated treatment with Cu/Cd increased each metal level in shoot, root and iron plaques. Soil Cu enhanced Cd accumulation in tissues. In contrast, Cu concentrations in shoot and root was unaffected by soil Cd. Compared to single metal contamination, combined treatment increased Cd content by 110.6%, 77.0%, and 45.2% in shoot, and by 112.7%, 51.2% and 18.4% in root for Gui630, YY-1, and KY1360, respectively. The content level of Cu or Cd in root surface iron plaques was not affected by their soil content. Cu promoted Fe accumulation in iron plaques, while Cd has no effect on P and Fe accumulation in it. The translocation of Cu and Cd from iron plaques to root and shoot was also discussed. These results might be beneficial in selecting cultivars with low heavy metal accumulation and designing strategies for soil bioremediation.