The effect of heavy metals on the total protein concentration of Typha latifolia plants, growing in a substrate containing sewage sludge compost and watered with metaliferus wastewater

Typha latifolia plants, commonly known as cattails, were grown in a mixture of sewage sludge compost, commercial compost and perlite. Large 6.5 L pots were used with one well developed plant in each pot, divided in five groups. Four groups were irrigated with a solution containing different concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn for a period of 10 weeks, where the fifth was used as a blank. Changes in the concentration of total protein in the leaves/stems were monitored aiming to study the effect of heavy metals from both the substrate and the wastewater on the plants' development and health. At the end of the experiment in the leaves/stems of Typha latifolia the mean concentration of Ni and Zn reached values of 27.50 and 60.83 mg/kg of d.w. respectively. Similar high concentrations were recorded for all five metals. This, however, did not resulted in an inhibition of the plants development and health in three of the four groups as evidenced by the increasing concentrations of the total protein in the leaves' tissue. Only in the fourth group, where the stronger solution was used, some evidence of inhibition occurred after the 8th week. The presence of NO as part of the metals' salts (growth factor), the short period of the experiment and the natural tolerance of Typha latifolia in heavy metals toxicity could explain such phenomenon.