title: Phytotoxicity and accumulation of anthracene applied to the foliage and sandy substrate in lettuce and radish plants.
abstract: The effects of anthracene (ANT) on the growth of two species of vegetable plants (Lactuca sativa L. and Raphanus sativus L.), which play an important role in the human diet, were studied. ANT was applied to the leaves of these plants by foliar deposition, in aerosol form, and to the sandy substrate in which the plants were grown in a greenhouse. It was found that ANT affected plant biomass, especially root biomass, in the case of both foliar and soil application. Under conditions of induced chemical stress, the dry matter of aboveground parts and roots was lower than that in control plants. The rate of photosynthesis decreased by about 20% in both plant species following foliar ANT application. A lower rate of transpiration was also observed in lettuce plants. After the foliar application of ANT, small quantities of the compound were found in the leaves only (0.06-0.18% of the total dose). ANT translocation to other parts of the plants was not observed. This compound underwent rapid chemical changes on the leaf surface under greenhouse conditions. After the application of ANT to a sandy substrate, this compound was detected in the roots and aboveground parts of plants, which indicates that it was transported throughout the plant. In a sandy substrate, the process of ANT decomposition was much slower-60-70% of the administered dose was measured in the soil after the completion of the experiment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Commodities Science and Quality Management, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-726 Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
authors.forename: Z J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
mesh_terms: D000873:Anthracenes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D018545:Lactuca / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018526:Plant Transpiration / Q000187:drug effects; D031224:Raphanus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C034020:anthracene