The transportation, time-dependent distribution of heavy metals in paddy crops

Sixteen experimenmtal plots (5 m×6 m=30 m2) were designed with four different levels of heavy metals (HMs) concentration in soil. The concentrations of heavy metals in soils, and paddy plant during the different periods of growth were investigated. A relationship between the total HM content in plants and the HM level in soil was found for a wide range of concentrations. The exchangeable fraction of HMs extracted with 1 M MgCl2 solution according to Tessier’s method increased correlation with the dosage of supplemented HMs, then decreased as time went on. The time-related variation of exchangeable HMs in soil demonstrated that the amount of effective HMs taken up by paddy differed at various growth phases. The amount of HMs accumulated in different parts of paddy followed the order of root>stem>grain, leaf. The transportation potential of the HMs in paddy in present study followed the order of Zn, Cr>Cd, Cu>Pb. The HM content in root, stem and leaf of paddy plant (dry weight) was low at time of seedling. The concentration in the root increased sharply at time of tillering, decreased thereafter. The concentrations in stem and leaf reached the highest at time of tillering, then decreased, while rose slightly at following time.