Heavy metal pollution represents a global health issue. Different methods and technologies are adopted to mitigate the problem of heavy metal pollution. Phytoremediation has been gaining attention as an environmentally friendly method to remediate this problem. The purpose of this research is to explore the effectiveness of phytoremediation in agricultural settings to assess the effect of five soil management practices (chicken manure, sewage sludge, leaf compost, cow manure, and vermicompost) on Cd, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn accumulation in the mustard (leaves and pods) of three mustard Brassica juncea varieties (black mustard, yellow mustard, and mighty mustard). The accumulation in mustard was quantified using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). The results showed that the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of the three mustard varieties exceeded one (BAF > 1) for Cd and Mo. It indicates that mustard is a good accumulator of Cd and Mo, whereas BAF values for Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn were less than one (BAF < 1). The accumulated Cu, Mo, Ni, and Zn levels were below the allowable limit, whereas the Cd and Pb levels were beyond the limit. This result indicates that the investigated mustard varieties can be grown on heavy metal polluted sites for Cd and Mo phytoremediation purposes, but care is needed with regard to Cd and Mo toxicity.

Increased heavy metal pollution worldwide necessitates urgent remediation measures. Phytoremediation stands as an eco-friendly technique that addresses this issue. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of phytoremediation in agricultural practices. Specifically, to evaluate the impact of five soil amendments (chicken manure, sewage sludge, leaf compost, cow manure, and vermicompost) on three cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) varieties (Capture, Primo vantage, and Tiara) yield, quality, and the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn in cabbage heads. The bioaccumulation efficiency of cabbage was determined using an inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Analysis revealed that soil enriched with chicken manure exhibited the highest cabbage yield. Each cabbage variety demonstrated very high bioaccumulation factor (BAF) indicating substantial heavy metal accumulation. These findings underscore the potential of utilizing crops for phytoremediation to mitigate heavy metal pollution. Additionally, the concentrations of metals below the permissible limits suggest that employing crops for phytoremediation can simultaneously ensure food productivity. This study emphasizes the necessity for further research into the use of crops for remediation strategies.

Summary Queen honey bees were fed Nosema apis spores in sucrose solution, returned to their hives, and examined later for N. apis infection by a polymerase chain reaction test. Eggs, larvae and pupae from the hives were also examined for infection on three observation dates during a 39 day period following the inoculation of the queens. Six of seven surviving queens developed N. apis infections in their ventriculi, but none had detectable N. apis in their ovaries. No eggs, larvae or pupae taken from the hives of Nosema inoculated queens contained detectable N. apis. These results suggest that N. apis is not transmitted vertically, unlike many other Microsporidia in other invertebrate hosts. In an effort to determine if the stress of shipping increased the susceptibility of Nosema exposed bees, another set of mated, queen honey bees was fed N. apis spores in sucrose, and the queens were then either mailed in small shipping cages, from Kentucky to Indiana and back, or kept caged for the same period in the laboratory. These queens were then dissected and their ovaries and ventriculi examined for N. apis. Of the mailed queens, all developed infection, whilst 86% of the queens not mailed became infected, but this difference was not statistically significant. N. apis was not detected in any of the ovaries of mailed queens nor of those queens not mailed.