Uptake and Translocation of Heavy Metals in Maize Leaves Exposed to Atmospheric Fallout

作者：Qiqi Wang, Qi Hao, Zhong Zhuang, Siyu Huang, Qi Wang, Yanan Wan, Huafen Li · 发表于：Plants · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/plants14223418 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance、Plant responses to elevated CO2、Heavy metals in environment

Atmospheric deposition is considered a source of heavy metals in plants. However, research on the uptake pathways of atmospheric particulate matter by leaves and the subsequent translocation of heavy metals within plants remains limited. In this study, the foliar uptake and translocation of heavy metals in two maize cultivars (fresh corn and silage corn cultivars, called Baiyunuo909 and Qingzhu932, respectively) were investigated through foliar exposure using soil from a mining area to simulate dry deposition under controlled chamber conditions. The height and biomass of maize were inhibited after three and five exposures to fallout deposition, and this inhibitory effect became increasingly pronounced with prolonged exposure. Furthermore, the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), along with the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, significantly decreased in both cultivars relative to the control. This decrease was more significant in fresh maize, with the reduction ranges being 94.3%, 42.1%, and 40.8%, respectively. Fallout exposure elevated the contents of cadmium, lead, arsenic and zinc in the leaves, stems, and sheaths of both cultivars, despite no significant increase in the roots. The bioconcentration factors of leaves for heavy metals ranged from 0.0002 to 0.0007, representing a 3.5-fold variation; however, the overall low values showed no significant differences. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy revealed the accumulation...