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Differential toxicity and accumulation of inorganic and methylated arsenic in rice

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Abstract

Background and aims

Efficient accumulation of arsenic (As) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) poses a potential health risk to rice consumers. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of uptake, transport and distribution of inorganic arsenic (Asi) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) in rice plants.

Methods

Rice was exposed to Asi (As(V)) and DMA in hydroponics. High-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microprobe were used to determine As concentration and the in situ As distribution.

Results

DMA induced abnormal florets before flowering and caused a sharp decline in the seed setting rate after flowering compared to Asi. Rice grains accumulated 2-fold higher DMA than Asi. The distribution of Asi concentration (root > leaf > husk > caryopsis) in As(V) treatments was different from that of the DMA concentration (caryopsis > husk > root ≥ leaf) in DMA treatments. SXRF showed that Asi mainly accumulated in the vascular trace of caryopsis with limited distribution to the endosperm, whereas DMA was observed in both tissues.

Conclusions

DMA tended to accumulate in caryopsis and induced higher toxicity to the reproductive tissues resulting in markedly reduced grain yield, whereas Asi mainly remained in the vegetative tissues and had no significant effect on yield. DMA is more toxic than Asi to the reproductive tissues when both of them are at similar concentrations in nutrient solution.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-Q02-04), The National Environmental Protection Public Welfare Industry Targeted Research Fund (201109052), the foundation of Macau University (MYRG204(Y1-L4)-FST11-SHJ)) and Social Development of Yunnan Province Science and Technology Plan (Special social development fund) (2010CA001). We thank the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility for providing technical support in the synchrotron x-ray fluorescent microprobe. We also thank Prof. Fang-Jie Zhao for his critical comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China

    Mao-Zhong Zheng, Gang Li & Chao Cai

  2. Tea Science and Biology Department, Wuyi University, Wuyishan, 354300, Fujian, China

    Mao-Zhong Zheng

  3. Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

    Guo-Xin Sun

  4. University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China

    Hojae Shim

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  1. Mao-Zhong Zheng
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  2. Gang Li
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  5. Chao Cai
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Correspondence to Chao Cai.

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Mao-Zhong Zheng and Gang Li contributed equally to this work.

Responsible Editor: Juan Barcelo.

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Zheng, MZ., Li, G., Sun, GX. et al. Differential toxicity and accumulation of inorganic and methylated arsenic in rice. Plant Soil 365, 227–238 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1376-3

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