Transport and metabolism of free cyanide and iron cyanide complexes by willow

Cyanide compounds are contaminants of growing importance that could be remediated biologically via phytoremediation, provided the plants possess suitable mechanisms for managing these pollutants without toxicity. The transport and metabolism of two cyanide compounds, potassium cyanide and potassium ferrocyanide, by willow ( Salix eriocephala L. var. Michaux) were compared using a hydroponic system that preserved cyanide speciation and solubility. The cyanide compounds were labelled with N-15 to quantify transport while a novel tissue extraction procedure was used to relate tissue N-15 to cyanide content and speciation. These analyses revealed that although little free cyanide was detected in the aerial tissues of plants exposed to either of these two cyanide compounds, significant enrichments in N-15 were observed, suggesting transport and subsequent metabolism of free cyanide as well as ferrocyanide. The results for ferrocyanide are of interest because this molecule is resistant to microbial degradation and if oxidized to ferricyanide is purportedly membrane impermeable. Nevertheless, these results and mass balance calculations for tissue N-15 and solution cyanide confirming 100% recovery for the added ferrocyanide are suggestive of ferrocyanide uptake and metabolism. This study provides new information describing the biological transport and metabolism of these two cyanide compounds in plants. Moreover, the data also suggest that phytoremediation of cyanide may be possible and ecologically safe due to the lack of cyanide bioaccumulation in aerial tissues.