Impact of particulate matter accumulation on the photosynthetic apparatus of roadside woody plants growing in the urban conditions.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most harmful inhaled pollutants. When pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere, the only possible method for cleaning the air is through phytoremediation, where plants act as biological filters for pollutants. However, PM also has negative impacts on plants, although knowledge concerning the effects of PM on vegetation remains limited. In this work, an attempt was therefore made to define the amount of PM and waxes on foliage, and to evaluate the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus in seven plant species (three trees, three shrubs and one climber) grown in two locations (centre and suburbs of Warsaw) that differed in their level of PM pollution in the air. More PM and waxes accumulated on the foliage of plants grown in the highly polluted location. These plants also exhibited a lowered efficiency of their photosynthetic apparatus, manifested by a lower photosynthesis rate that corresponded with an increased stomatal resistance. Plants grown in the more polluted environment also showed decreased values of Fv/Fm parameter and no statistically significant trend to increase total chlorophyll content. Among the tested species, Betula pendula Roth accumulated the greatest amount of PM and Physocarpus opulifolius L. showed no weakening of its parameters of photosynthesis in a more contaminated environment.

Platinum uptake, distribution and toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana L. plants.

Platinum (Pt) occurs at very low levels in parent rock and soils in unpolluted areas, however concentrations of this element in urban areas is steadily increasing. At the levels recorded in urban environments, Pt is not yet phytotoxic, but it already poses a threat to human health, particularly when present in airborne particulate matter. In this study an attempt was made to evaluate Pt(II) uptake, distribution and toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana L. plants. Arabidopsis thaliana plants were hydroponically grown with increasing Pt(II) concentrations in the range of 0.025-100µM. Pt(II) was taken up by the roots and translocated to the rosette. At lower Pt(II) concentrations (≤ 2.5µM) hormesis was recorded, plant growth was stimulated, the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus improved and biomass accumulation increased. Higher Pt(II) concentrations were phytotoxic, causing growth inhibition, impairment of the photosynthetic apparatus, membrane injuries and a reduction in biomass accumulation. Exposure of A. thaliana to Pt(II) also resulted in an increased content of phytochelatins throughout the plant and glutathione in the rosette. Uptake and translocation of Pt(II) to harvestable organs of A. thaliana suggests that species of higher biomass accumulation from the Brassicaceae family can probably be used for the phytoextraction of Pt-polluted sites.

The effects of Mg enrichment of vegetable sprouts on Mg concentration, yield and ROS generation.

BACKGROUND: Two-thirds of the world's population do not consume the recommended amount of Mg, hence the demand for the production of Mg-enriched plants. Sprouts represent promising targets for enrichment. This study evaluated the effects of enriching broccoli, radish, alfalfa and mung bean sprouts with Mg (50-300 mg L(-1) ) on (i) the concentration of Mg and other ions, (ii) biomass accumulation, (iii) levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and (iv) the activity/content of enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of antioxidative systems. RESULTS: Enrichment of sprouts with Mg led to a significant increase in Mg concentration, especially in alfalfa (increase of 23-152 %), without depletion of other ions. A higher Mg concentration had a minor effect on biomass accumulation, but increased, often significantly, ROS generation and affected enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative systems. The level of O2 (•-) increased most in broccoli, by 59-158%, while OH(•) increased most in radish, by 200-350%. CONCLUSIONS: Enrichment of sprouts with Mg is possible, but attention must be paid to elevated ROS levels in food. Mung bean sprouts are best suited to enrichment as they make a considerable contribution to the daily supplementation of Mg, at still low levels of ROS in enriched plants. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Level of Particulate Matter on Foliage Depends on the Distance from the Source of Emission.

One of the most dangerous inhaled pollutants is particulate matter (PM). PM in inhaled air have a negative impact on human wellbeing and health, and may even cause deaths. Where pollutants have been emitted into the outdoor atmosphere, the only possible method for cleaning the air is through phytoremediation, a form of environmental biotechnology, where plants act as biological filters for pollutants. This study compared PM levels on the leaves of Tilia cordata Mill. trees growing in locations at increasing distances from the source of the PM emission. Significant differences between individual trees growing at a distance of between 3 m and 500 m from the road edge were found in: (i) the mass of PM that accumulated on leaves (total, surface, in-wax and the three determined size fractions) and (ii) the amount of waxes deposited on leaves.

The Role of Plant-Microbe Interactions and Their Exploitation for Phytoremediation of Air Pollutants.

Since air pollution has been linked to a plethora of human health problems, strategies to improve air quality are indispensable. Despite the complexity in composition of air pollution, phytoremediation was shown to be effective in cleaning air. Plants are known to scavenge significant amounts of air pollutants on their aboveground plant parts. Leaf fall and runoff lead to transfer of (part of) the adsorbed pollutants to the soil and rhizosphere below. After uptake in the roots and leaves, plants can metabolize, sequestrate and/or excrete air pollutants. In addition, plant-associated microorganisms play an important role by degrading, detoxifying or sequestrating the pollutants and by promoting plant growth. In this review, an overview of the available knowledge about the role and potential of plant-microbe interactions to improve indoor and outdoor air quality is provided. Most importantly, common air pollutants (particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and inorganic air pollutants) and their toxicity are described. For each of these pollutant types, a concise overview of the specific contributions of the plant and its microbiome is presented. To conclude, the state of the art and its related future challenges are presented.

SEC ICP MS and CZE ICP MS investigation of medium and high molecular weight complexes formed by cadmium ions with phytochelatins.

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were applied to characterize low, medium, and high molecular weight cadmium complexes with glutathione and phytochelatins (PCs). The dominant stoichiometry of the complexes formed in vitro was established as 1:1 using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Calculated molecular masses of Cd1L1 complexes were used for calibration of the SEC and CZE methods. The results showed a lower (2 kDa) SEC column exclusion limit for cadmium complexes compared with free peptides (10 kDa), and most of the high molecular weight cadmium species were eluted in the void volume of the column. Moreover, the CZE method based on the semiempirical model of Offord to elucidate peptide migration allowed us to show a high propensity of Cd-PC complexes for polymorphism on complexation, which was also observed for extracts of Arabidopsis thaliana treated with cadmium. All the information presented is vital for understanding the mechanism of metal deactivation in plants.

Restoration of two shallow, urban lakes using the phosphorus inactivation method - preliminary results.

This paper presents the initial environmental effects of polyaluminum chloride application on the water quality of two connected, shallow urban lakes in the Mazurian Lakeland, Poland. The water quality of Lake Domowe Duze (62 ha, mean depth 2.4 m) and Lake Domowe Male (11 ha, mean depth 2.8 m) in Szczytno did not improve after sewage discharge cutoff. Thus, local authorities decided to implement a restoration project involving the 3-year application of aluminum coagulant (26 g Al m(-2)) and manipulation of fish stocking. In 2010 and 2011, the first two stages of the project were conducted. After restoration measures, phosphorus concentration in water, chemical oxygen demand, chlorophyll 'a' and phytoplankton biomass decreased significantly compared to the control years. No long-term decrease of pH was obtained after aluminum application. Low concentrations of dissolved aluminum in a water column (below 0.2 mg L(-1) during technical operations) did not show any negative effects on aquatic fauna.

Biological mode of action of a nitrophenolates-based biostimulant: case study.

The challenges facing modern plant production involve (i) responding to the demand for food and resources of plant origin from the world's rapidly growing population, (ii) coping with the negative impact of stressful conditions mainly due to anthropopressure, and (iii) meeting consumers' new requirements and preferences for food that is high in nutritive value, natural, and free from harmful chemical additives. Despite employing the most modern plant cultivation technologies and the progress that has been made in breeding programs, the genetically-determined crop potential is still far from being fully exploited. Consequently yield and quality are often reduced, making production less, both profitable and attractive. There is an increasing desire to reduce the chemical input in agriculture and there has been a change toward integrated plant management and sustainable, environmentally-friendly systems. Biostimulants are a category of relatively new products of diverse formulations that positively affect a plant's vital processes and whose impact is usually more evident under stressful conditions. In this paper, information is provided on the mode of action of a nitrophenolates-based biostimulant, Atonik, in model species and economically important crops grown under both field and controlled conditions in a growth chamber. The effects of Atonik on plant morphology, physiology, biochemistry (crops and model plant) and yield and yield parameters (crops) is demonstrated. Effects of other biostimulants on studied in this work processes/parameters are also presented in discussion.

Particulate matter on foliage of 13 woody species: deposition on surfaces and phytostabilisation in waxes--a 3-year study.

Particulate matter (PM) as an air pollutant can be harmful for human health through allergic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. Although the main focus is on decreasing air pollution, after PM has been emitted to the atmosphere, one ofthe realistic options to decrease it's concentrations in urbanized area will be phytoremediation. This study compared the capacity to capture PM from air of seven tree species commonly cultivated in Poland (Catalpa bignonioides Walter, Corylus colurna L., Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh., Ginkgo biloba L., Platanus x hispanica Mill. ex Muenchh., Quercus rubra L., Tilia tomentosa Moench 'Brabant') and six shrub species (Acer tataricum subsp, ginnala (Maxim.) Wesm., Sambucus nigra L., Sorbaria sorbifolia (L) A.Br., Spiraea japonica L.f., Syringe meyeri C.K. Schneid. 'Palibin', Viburnum lantana L.). Significant differences were found between species in mass of total PM accumulation for two PM categories and three size fractions determined and in amount of waxes. A positive correlation was found between in-wax PM of diameter 2.5-10 microm and amount of waxes, but not between amount of waxes and amount of total PM or of any size fraction.

Deposition of particulate matter of different size fractions on leaf surfaces and in waxes of urban forest species.

Particulate matter (PM) is an air contaminant in urban and industrial areas that often exceeds limit values, creating serious problems due to its harmful effects on health. Planting trees and shrubs as air filters is a way to improve air quality in these areas. However,further knowledge on species effectiveness in air purification is essential This study compared four species of tree (Acer campestre L, Fraxinus excelsior L, Platanus x hispanica Mill. ex Muenchh. 'Acerifolia', Tilia cordata Mill.), three species of shrub (Forsythia x intermedia Zabel, Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim., Spiraea japonica L.), and one climber species (Hedera helix L) that are commonly cultivated along streets in Poland to capture fine, coarse and larger particles from air. Separate gravimetric analyses were performed to quantify PM deposited on surfaces and trapped in waxes. Significant differences were found between the plant species tested. The distribution of different particle size fractions differed between and within species and also between leaf surfaces and in waxes.