Chlorophyll a fluorescence in evaluation of the effect of heavy metal soil contamination on perennial grasses

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 14;9(3):e91475. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091475. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Chlorophyll a fluorescence gives information about the plant physiological status due to its coupling to the photosynthetic electron transfer chain and to the further biochemical processes. Environmental stresses, which acts synergistically, disturbs the photosynthesis. The OJIP test, elaborated by Strasser and co-workers, enables comparison of the physiological status of plants grown on polluted vs. control areas. The paper shows that the Chl a measurements are very useful tool in evaluating of heavy metal ions influence on perennial grasses, tested as potential phytoremediators. Among 5 cultivars tested, the highest concentration of Cd and Zn ions, not associated with the yield reduction, was detected in the biomass of tall fescue cv. Rahela. Chl a fluorescence interpreted as double normalized curves pointed out Rahela as the outstanding cultivar under the HM ions stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomass
  • Chlorophyll A
  • Chlorophyll*
  • Metals, Heavy / chemistry*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / growth & development
  • Poaceae* / chemistry
  • Poaceae* / growth & development
  • Poland
  • Soil / chemistry*
  • Soil Pollutants / chemistry*

Substances

  • Metals, Heavy
  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Chlorophyll
  • Chlorophyll A

Grants and funding

The work was financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Poland, as grant PW3-3-00-0-03. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.