title: Contaminant bioavailability in soil and phytotoxicity/genotoxicity tests in Vicia faba L.: a case study of boron contamination.
abstract: In this work, the model plant for genotoxicity studies Vicia faba L. was used to investigate the relation between Boron (B) content and bioavailability in soil and plant genotoxic/phytotoxic response. A total of nine soil samples were investigated: two soil samples were collected from a B-polluted industrial area in Cecina (Tuscany, Italy), the other samples were obtained by spiking control soil (from a not polluted area of the basin) with seven increased doses of B, from about 20 to 100 mg B kg-1. As expected, B availability, evaluated by chemical extraction, was higher (twofold) in spiked soils when compared with collected polluted soils with the same B total content. To analyze the phytotoxic effects of B, seed germination, root elongation, biomass production, and B accumulation in plant tissues were considered in V. faba plants grown in the various soils. Moreover, the cytotoxic/genotoxic effects of B were investigated in root meristems by mitotic index (MI) and micronuclei frequency (MCN) analysis. The results highlighted that V. faba was a B-sensitive plant and the appearance of phytotoxic effects, which altered plant growth parameters, were linearly correlated to the bioavailable B concentration in soils. Concerning the occurrence of cytotoxic/genotoxic effects induced by B, no linear correlation was observed even if MCN frequency was logarithmic correlated with the concentration of B bioavailable in soils.
authors.affiliation: National Research Council - Institute of Ecosystem Study, Section of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy. meri.barbafieri@ise.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Meri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbafieri
authors.affiliation: National Research Council - Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, Section of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy. l.giorgetti@ibba.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giorgetti
mesh_terms: D001682:Biological Availability; D001895:Boron / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D007558:Italy; D018519:Meristem / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015162:Micronucleus Tests / Q000379:methods; D008940:Mitotic Index; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D031307:Vicia faba / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001895:Boron
keywords: Bioavailability; Boron; Faba bean; Genotoxicity; Phytotoxicity