Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Chromium and Nickel Phytotoxicity
and Genotoxicity
Agáta Fargašová, Bernd Markert and Karol Mičieta
Abstract
The growth inhibition, biomass production and water translocation in
roots and shoots of mustard (
Sinapis alba
L.) was evaluated in experiments with
Cr(III), Cr(VI) and Ni. On the basis of IC (IC
25
, IC
50
, IC
75
) values for growth inhibi-
tion the following rank orders were arranged: for roots: Cr(VI) ≥ Ni(II) > > Cr(III);
for shoots: Ni(II) > Cr(VI) > > Cr(III). All metals tested reduced more root than
shoot growth. When the relationship between dry (DM) and fresh mass (FM) was
determined, FM production was reduced more than that of DM, and root FM was
reduced more strongly than that of shoots. This indicates a reduction in water uptake
and problems with water translocation through the plant. For genotoxicity study,
simultaneous phytotoxicity and mutagenicity assay with
Vicia sativa
L. var. Klára
was used. For phytotoxicity, the following rank orders of growth inhibition could
be arranged: for roots: Ni(II) > Cr(VI) > Cr(III); for shoots: Ni(II) > Cr(VI) ≥ Cr (III).
For mutagenicity assay root tips of
V. sativa
were used and chromosome aberrations
were determined at least in 500-anatelophases. All tested metals exerted in
V. sativa
a significant increase of chromosomal aberration rate in applied concentrations.
Maximum of aberrations invoked Cr(VI) and the rank order of aberrations fall was:
Cr(VI) > Ni(II) > Cr(III). Genotoxic effects of metals were also determined by anal-
ysis of micronuclei frequency in the pollen tetrads of
Tradescantia
plants. None of
the tested metals significantly stimulated micronuclei frequency. Genotoxic effect
decreased in order: Cr(VI) ≥ Ni(II) > Cr(III).
Keywords
Chromium
·
Nickel
·
Phytotoxicity
·
Genotoxicity
·
Plants
