Role of plants, mycorrhizae and phytochelators in heavy metal contaminated land remediation.

Phytoremediation is a site remediation strategy, which employs plants to remove non-volatile and immisible soil contents. This sustainable and inexpensive process is emerging as a viable alternative to traditional contaminated land remediation methods. To enhance phytoremediation as a viable strategy, fast growing plants with high metal uptake ability and rapid biomass gain are needed. This paper provides a brief review of studies in the area of phytoaccumulation, most of which have been carried out in Europe and the USA. Particular attention is given to the role of phytochelators in making the heavy metals bio-available to the plant and their symbionts in enhancing the uptake of bio-available heavy metals.

Serum ferritin and C282Y mutation of the hemochromatosis gene as predictors of asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis in a community population.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Serum ferritin and heterozygosity for the C282Y mutation of the hemochromatosis gene have both been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The purpose of the study was to test whether either is a risk predictor for asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS: We assessed carotid intima-media wall thickness (IMT) and focal plaque formation by high-resolution B-mode ultrasound, conventional risk factors, serum ferritin levels, and the C282Y mutation of the hemochromatosis gene in a randomly selected community population of 1098 subjects (545 women and 553 men) aged 27 to 77 years. RESULTS: After adjustment for conventional risk factors, serum ferritin was not associated with carotid mean IMT. Women with ferritin values over the first quartile (>34 microg/L) had an adjusted odds ratio of 2.1 (95% CI, 1. 3 to 3.4; P:=0.0016) for carotid plaque compared with the first quartile. Ferritin was not associated with carotid plaque in men. Subjects who were heterozygous for the C282Y mutation constituted 11. 4% of the population, and there was no independent association of this genotype with either carotid IMT or focal plaque formation. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in our community population, C282Y genotype status was not a risk predictor for either carotid mean IMT or plaque formation. Serum ferritin values in women were independently associated with carotid plaque.