Impact of cadmium and zinc on root system of Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens.

Urbanization, industrialization and agricultural practices have resulted in soil contamination with heavy metals in many world areas. Phytostabilization is an emerging solution to limit pollutant dispersion out of the contaminated area without expensive costs (Vangronsveld et al., 2009). However, because of the heavy metal phytotoxicity, the implementation of a plant cover could be jeopardized. Indeed, many studies have demonstrated the negative impact of heavy metals on shoot growth and development. Impact on roots is less understood, because of the difficulty to access to this plant compartment. However, setting up of an important root system is crucial for phytostabilization strategy, in order to limit metal bioavailability, metal leaching and soil dispersion (Vangronsveld et al., 2009), but also to guarantee the durability of the plant cover.