Plants for waste water treatment – Effects of heavy metals on the detoxification system of Typha latifolia

Upon treatment with Cd and As cattail (Typha latifolia) showed induced catalase, monodehydroascorbate reductase and ascorbate peroxidase activities in leaves but strong inhibition in rhizomes. Peroxidase activity in leaves of the same plants was inhibited whereas linear increase was detected after Cd treatment in rhizomes.Glutathione S-transferase measurements resulted in identical effects of the trace elements on the substrates CDNB, DCNB, NBC, NBoC, fluorodifen. When GST was assayed with the model substrate DCNB, a different pattern of activity was observed, with strongly increasing activities at increasing HM concentrations. Consequently, to improve the success rates, future phytoremediation plans need to preselect plant species with high antioxidative enzyme activities and an alert GST pattern capable of detoxifying an array of organic xenobiotics.