Journal of Stress Physiology &
Biochemistry, Vol. 9 No. 4
2013, pp. 145-162 ISSN 1997-0838
Original Text Copyright (cc) 2013 by Hassanein, Hashem, El-Deep,
Shouman
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Data source : Google Scholar
QueryDate : 2016-12-24
Cites : 2
Soil Contamination With Heavy
Metals and Its Effect on Growth, Yield and Physiological Responses of
Vegetable Crop Plants (Turnip and Lettuce)
Raifa Ahmed Hassanein1,
Hanan Ahmed Hashem1*, Mohamed Hashem El-Deep2,
Ahmed Shouman3
1 Department of Botany, Faculty
of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. 2 Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain
Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. 3 Department of Basic Science, Institute of Environmental
Studies and Research, Cairo, Egypt.
*E-Mail: Hashem.hanan@gmail.com
Received July 2, 2013
The present study
was conducted to investigate the
impact of irrigation with industrial wastewater
on soil and plant. For these purpose turnip and lettuce plants were
cultivated in soil irrigated with wastewater then heavy metals content
of the soil, plant growth, yield and the subsequent changes in
biochemical constituents of plant were examined. Irrigation with
wastewater was found to load the soil with heavy metals (Pb, Co, Ni and
Cd) that were not detected in soil before irrigation. The magnitude of
Cd in soils after irrigation with industrial wastewater exceeds the
maximum allowable limit (3 mg Kg-1). Both turnip and lettuce
exhibited significant decreases in leaf area, fresh weight and dry
weight of shoots and roots as well as all the measured
yield components in response to
wastewater irrigation. The magnitude of
decrease was positively correlated with the amounts of heavy metals
detected in the soil and the inhibitory effect on turnip was much more
pronounced than in lettuce. Furthermore, heavy metals accumulation in
soil resulted in an oxidative damage to turnip and lettuce as indicated
by the significant increase in lipid peroxidation and H2O2
levels in both plants comparing to control values. The significant
increases in putrescine in lettuce and turnip shoots and roots and
spermidine in lettuce roots as well as total phenolics and flavonoids
in plants cultivated in soil enriched with heavy metals are believed to
be defense mechanisms in turnip and lettuce plants to counteract the
oxidative stress resulted from heavy metals contamination generated
from irrigation with wastewater.
