Elemental antagonism in vegetables under treated municipal wastewater

Abstract

We investigated the occurrence of the antagonistic interactions between essential elements and heavy metals, in various plant parts (roots, leaves, sprouts and heads), under treated municipal wastewater reuse (TMWW) in Brussels sprouts, and broccoli, and their effect on the elemental composition of plants. The statistical design included two treatments, i.e. (a) TMWW and (b) ordinary natural irrigation water (control), in six replications. Most of the concomitant antagonistic interactions under both TMWW and control occurred in the roots and leaves of Brussels sprouts (23), while in broccoli leaves only 15 such interactions took place under TMWW and control, none of them having occurred in the roots. On the other hand, in the heads of broccoli, only eight interactions were found under the TMWW, in comparison to only three in controls. Also, in Brussels sprouts three concomitant interactions occurred under TMWW in the sprouts, and none in controls.