Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviate the heavy metal toxic 2018 Science of

This study investigates the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in mitigating heavy metal toxicity on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) grown in heavily contaminated soil from a waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling site. An 8-week pot experiment was conducted using two types of soil: heavily metal-contaminated (H) and lightly metal-enriched (L). Results showed that the H soil caused significant increases in concentrations of heavy metals like Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Ni in sunflower, which adversely affected the thylakoid structure in leaves. Additionally, AM fungal inoculation significantly enhanced root mycorrhizal colonization and improved the biomass and phosphorus (P) concentrations in sunflower in the H soil, while effects were negligible in the L soil. The inoculation also decreased heavy metal levels in sunflower shoots but did not affect root levels, indicating a selective uptake process. Moreover, the AM fungal treatment improved leaf catalase activity and exhibited potential for phytoextraction applications. These findings highlight the potential of AM fungi in promoting plant growth and reducing heavy metal toxicity in contaminated agricultural soils.