Arsenic and chromium hyperaccumulation by an ecotype of Pteris vittata - prospective for phytoextraction from contaminated water and soil

This study was carried out to identify Pteris vittata plant in India, which is reported elsewhere as an arsenic hyperaccumulator. This is the first report of characterization of arsenic (As) accumulation in an Indian ecotype, which also shows chromium (Cr) hyperaccumulation in addition to As. Intact plantlets were grown in 20% Hoagland solution amended with up to 200 mg As or Cr l(-1) medium. Plants absorbed and accumulated a significant amount of As and Cr in their biomass with high bioenrichment factor. As and Cr tolerance by spores and gametophytes under in vitro was also assessed. As and Cr accumulation in the gametophyte biomass was more when spores were directly germinated on As- and Cr-supplemented media. As and Cr accumulation in the gametophyte biomass was less when spores were germinated first on media devoid of As and Cr but subsequently grown on As-and Cr-amended media.