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Currently, the occurrence of toxic levels of metals in soils is a serious environmental issue worldwide. Phytoremediation is getting much attention to control metals soil pollution because it is economic and environmentally friendly. However, the methods used to detect metals in plants are not uniform and have depicted poor comparability of the research investigations. Therefore, the present overview is designed to discuss the possible chemical forms of metals in various environmental matrixes and the detection methods employed to identify the chemical forms of metals in plants. Moreover, the in situ and indirect methods to detect metals in plants have also been discussed herein. In addition, the pros and cons of the available techniques have also been critically analyzed and discussed. Finally, key points/challenges and future perspectives of these methods have been highlighted for the scientific community. Novelty statement In the current review, the possible chemical forms of metals in various environmental matrixes are discussed in detail. Various extraction agents and their efficiency for extracting metals from plants have been clearly illustrated. Further, all the available methods for analyzing the chemical forms of metals in plants have been compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel extraction and safety evaluation method for heavy metals based on different functions of plants was proposed, and an edible plant (pea) was used as the research material to explore the feasibility of the novel method. Pea sprouts were cultured in cadmium (Cd) concentrations of 0, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 mg L−1, respectively. The Cd in pea sprouts was continuously extracted with 100 °C distilled water, 60% ethanol, 6% acetic acid, and simulated gastric juice. It was observed that highest amount of Cd (48.65–58.87%) was found in the extraction of roots with 6% acetic acid, followed by 100 °C distilled water (28.68–37.61%). While in stems, most of the Cd (70.73–85.39%) was extracted by 6% acetic acid. The recovery rate of the sequential chemical extraction technique employed in this experiment was between 93 and 106%. Compared with traditional methods, this study has its development potential in two aspects. First, it can determine which steps of sequential extractions of heavy metals in plants are the most harmful to humans. Secondly, corresponding measures can be taken to reduce heavy metals in vegetables used daily, such as soaking edible vegetables in vinegar for a short time. Novelty statement: In this study, a novel extraction and safety evaluation method for heavy metals based on different functions of plants was proposed, and an edible plant (pea) was used as the research material to explore the feasibility of the novel method. Compared with the commonly used extraction methods, the novel method is more reasonable and has greater development potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended particles in water can shelter both microorganisms and contaminants. However, the emerging pollutants antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in free-living (FL) or particle-attached (PA) bacteria in aquatic environments are less explored. In this study, we compared the free-living and particle-attached ARGs during four seasons in the Yellow River using high-throughput quantitative PCR techniques and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our results demonstrated that both the free-living water and particles were dominated by tetracycline and beta-lactamase resistance genes. The PA-ARGs had a higher absolute abundance than FL-ARGs in the Yellow River, regardless of the season. Both PA-ARGs and FL-ARGs had the highest absolute abundance and diversity during winter. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were the dominant driver for both size-fractionated ARGs. However, the microbiome had less influence on PA-ARG profiles than the FL-ARG profiles, while the effects of the heavy metals on ARGs were negligible. The community assembly of both FL-ARG and PA-ARG can be explained by neutral processes. Several opportunistic pathogens (e.g., Escherichia coli) associated with human health exhibited a higher relative abundance in the particles than during a free-living lifestyle. Parts of these pathogens were potential ARG hosts. As such, it is important to monitor the ARGs and opportunistic pathogens from size-fractionated bacteria and develop targeted strategies to manage ARG dissemination and opportunistic pathogens to ensure public health. [Display omitted] • The PA-ARGs in the Yellow River had higher diversity and abundance than FL-ARGs. • The effects of the heavy metals on size-fractionated ARGs were negligible. • Both FL-ARG and PA-ARG community assembly can be explained by neutral processes. • Opportunistic pathogens Escherichia coli had higher abundance in particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]