Coupling phytoremediation efficiency and detoxification to assess the role of P in the Cu tolerant Ricinus communis L.

Phosphorous (P) fertilization is an important agronomic practice, but its role in enhancing phytoremediation efficacy and mediating detoxification has rarely been reported in environmental remediation studies. In this study, a pot experiment was undertaken to assess: firstly, the effect of P on phytoextraction of Cu by Ricinus communis L.; secondly, the potential mechanisms by differentiating the effects of the plant from that of P fertilizer (Ca(H2PO4)2); and thirdly, the role of P in physiological detoxification. Results showed that the application of P fertilizer significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the plant biomass as well as the Cu concentrations in plant tissues. This enhanced the phytoremediation efficiency represented by the total Cu extraction (up to 121.3 μg Cu plant−1). Phosphorous (P) fertilizer led to a negligible decline in soil pH (0.2 units) but significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced the concentrations of soil available in Cu and Fe, due to the formation of insoluble Cu/Fe-phosphate precipitates. Nevertheless, P fertilizer still improved the accumulation and extraction of Cu by R. communis, most likely attributable to the Fe-deficiency induced by applied P fertilizer. Moreover, the application of P fertilizer revealed a significant reduction in MDA, and a profound (p ≤ 0.05) elevation in the amount of photosynthetic pigments, GSH and AsA, along with the enhanced activities of antioxidative enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT). In this way, Cu toxicity was alleviated. P fertilizers not only enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of Cu-contaminated soils by R. communis, but they also facilitate detoxification, which improves our understanding of the role of P in phytoremediation technologies.