Towards phytoextraction of Cu from vineyard soils with local pseudo-metallophyte plants: insights from µXRF and µXANES

Vineyard soils are generally contaminated with copper (Cu) due to the use of Cu-based fungicides, even in organic viticulture. Phytoremediation can represent an alternative to extract part of Cu from these soils. After a screening of local plants, we have selected two plant species that were grown in pot experiments. The objective of this proposal is to identify the compartments of Cu accumulation in the various organs, tissues and cells of the plants by micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF), and the Cu speciation by micro X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure spectroscopy (µXANES). This information will be essential to 1) determine the strategy developed by the plant to cope with Cu toxicity, and 2) take the first steps of phytoextraction and Cu recovering.