干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

This study reports on the capability of the desert plant Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet (desert willow) to uptake gold (Au) from gold-enriched media at different plant-growth stages. Plants were exposed to 20, 40, 80, 160, and 320 mg An L-1 in agar-based growing media for 13, 18, 23, and 35 d. The Au content and oxidation state of An in the plants were determined using an inductively coupled plasma/optical emission spectrometer (ICP/OES) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), respectively. Gold concentrations ranging from 20 to 80 mg An L-1 did not significantly affect Chilopsis linearis plant growth. The concentration of gold in the plants increased as the age of the plant increased. The An concentrations in leaves for the 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg An L-1 treatments were 32, 60, 62, and 179 mg An kg(-1) dry weight mass, respectively, demonstrating the gold uptake capability of desert willow. The XAS data indicated that desert willow produced gold nanoparticles within plant tissues. Plants exposed to 160 mg An L-1 formed nanoparticles that averaged approximately 8, 35, and 18 A in root, stem, and leaves, respectively. It was observed that the average size of the An nanoparticles formed by the plants is related to the total An concentration in tissues and their location in the plant.