PHYSIOLOGICAL TESTS TO MEASURE IMPACTS OF GASEOUS POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) ON CULTIVATED PLANTS

• Published in: Communications in soil science and plant analysis Vol. 33; no. 15-18; pp. 3227 - 3239
• Main Authors: Slaski, Jan J., Archambault, Daniel J., Li, Xiaomei
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.11.2002; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Non agrochemicals pollutants; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Pollution effects and side effects of agrochemicals on crop plants and forest trees. Other anthropogenic factors; Pollution effects. Side effects of agrochemicals; Performance evaluation; Monocotyledones; Insecticide; Fluorescence; Biomass; Compositae; Cereal crop; Cruciferae; Gramineae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Chemical concentration; Damage; Lactuca sativa; Monitoring; Chlorophyll; Hordeum vulgare; Creosote; Pesticides; Medicago sativa; Fumigant; Plant leaf; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Grain legume; Pollutant; Non destructive method; Naphthalene; Phytotoxicity; Leguminosae; Vegetable crop; Photosynthetic pigment; Pisum sativum; Brassica napus; Poison; Air pollution; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop; Measurement method; Biological accumulation; Diagnostic aid; Oil plant (vegetal)
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416
• DOI: 10.1081/CSS-120014518

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important airborne pollutants that accumulate at increased concentrations in vegetation surrounding PAH emitters such as smelters, roadways, runways, oil and gas operations. Terrestrial plants are at risk of injury from potentially toxic PAHs. The objective of this study was to measure the effects of gaseous PAHs on performance of crop plants using a combination of destructive and non-destructive methods. Experiments were carried out in a gas exposure system on five crop species: canola, barley, field pea, alfalfa and lettuce. Plants were exposed to naphthalene and creosote (a substance containing 90% PAHs) at two developmental stages (7 and 21 days old). Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured daily using a portable screening chlorophyll fluorometer and compared with readings taken from control plants. At the end of the experiments, chlorophyll content in leaves was measured using a portable chlorophyll meter. A rapid, sensitive seedling-based bioassay was used to evaluate the relative toxicity of water-extracts from plants exposed to PAHs. Our results suggest that measurements of photosynthetic parameters of plants exposed to gaseous PAHs using portable devices accurately reflect detrimental effects of these compounds. The bioassay used in these experiments allowed for the indirect determination of the accumulation of PAHs in/on plant tissues. Simple, non-destructive physiological measurements and bioassays are practical diagnostic tools for the monitoring of PAH exposure and injury.