title: Effects of sulfur dioxide pollution on the translocation and accumulation of heavy metals in soybean grain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Open-top chambers were used to study the impact of simultaneous exposure to atmospheric SO(2) pollution and heavy metal contamination in soils on the metal contents and productivity of soybean plant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plants were exposed at ambient levels as control SO(2) (1.2 ppb), low SO(2) (97 ppb), and high SO(2) (490 ppb) over the whole growing season while simultaneously being exposed to either Cd (0.5 mg kg(-1)), Pb (250 mg kg(-1)), Cu (100 mg kg(-1)), or Zn (150 mg kg(-1)) in soil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This experimental study covering the whole growth season has shown that SO(2) has a synergistic effect in enhancing the heavy metal contents in aboveground tissues of soybean plant, and the effects of high SO(2) treatment were found to be highly significant, showing increases of 42% and 29% for Cu and Cd content of grain, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The research findings are of practical significance in the environmental control for the combined pollution of air and soil to ensure the quality of agricultural products and therefore benefits for human health.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Peijun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Allinson
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stagnitti
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Xianzhe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013025:Glycine max / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide