Release of metals by the leaves of the salt marsh grasses Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis

The perennial grass Spartina alterniflora, common to salt marshes of eastern North America, is known to accumulate metals from marsh sediment and release them into the environment. One pathway by which Spartina alterniflora releases metals is through the excretion of metal-containing salts produced by leaf salt glands. We examined the differential release of metals by Spartina alterniflora and the invasive perennial grass Phragmites australis in an urban marsh ecosystem. Leaching rates were measured by cleaning residues off leaf surfaces under field and controlled laboratory conditions. Leaf residues and leaf tissue were analysed for copper, chromium, lead and zinc by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Spartina alterniflora was found to release significantly more metal through leaf tissue than Phragmites australis, under both field and laboratory situations. Spartina alterniflora was also found to accumulate significantly more chromium and lead in leaves than Phragmites australis. Therefore, Spartina alterniflora can release larger quantities of metals into the marsh environment than Phragmites australis, through both excretion and leaf deposition. (C) 2000 Academic Press.