Sulfate and chromate increased each other's uptake and translocation in As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata

• CrVI and sulfate uptake by As-hyperaccumulator P.vittata was investigated.
• CrVI and sulfate enhanced each other's uptake by P. vittata.
• P. vittata was efficient in CrVI accumulation in the roots with little translocation.
• Though CrVI was supplied, Cr was mainly present as CrIII in the biomass.
• CrVI was probably not taken up by P. vittata via sulfate transporters.

We investigated the effects of chromate (CrVI) and sulfate on their uptake and translocation in As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata. Plants were exposed to 1) 0.1 mM CrVI and 0, 0.25, 1.25 or 2.5 mM sulfate or 2) 0.25 mM sulfate and 0, 0.5, 2.5 or 5.0 mM CrVI for 1 d in hydroponics. P. vittata accumulated 26 and 1261 mg kg−1 Cr in the fronds and roots at CrVI0.1, and 2197 and 1589 mg kg−1 S in the fronds and roots at S0.25. Increasing sulfate concentrations increased Cr root concentrations by 16–66% and helped CrVI reduction to CrIII whereas increasing CrVI concentrations increased frond sulfate concentrations by 3–27%. Increasing sulfate concentrations enhanced TBARS concentrations in the biomass, indicating oxidative stress caused lipid peroxidation in plant cell membranes. However, addition of 0.25–2.5 mM sulfate alleviated CrVI's toxic effects and decreased TBARS from 23.5 to 9.46–12.3 μmol g−1 FW. Though CrVI was supplied, 78–96% of CrIII was in the biomass, indicating efficient CrVI reduction to CrIII by P. vittata. The data indicated the amazing ability of P. vittata in Cr uptake at 289 mg kg−1 h−1 with little translocation to the fronds. These results indicated that P. vittata had potential in Cr phytoremediation in contaminated sites but further studies are needed to evaluate this potential. The facts that CrVI and sulfate helped each other in uptake by P. vittata suggest that CrVI was not competing with sulfate uptake in P. vittata. However, the mechanisms of how sulfate and CrVI enhance each other's accumulation in P. vittata need further investigation.

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