Ionic liquids (ILs) are regarded as green solvents and are frequently used in the chemical industry. However, ILs may impact plant growth if they are present in the soil environment. To compare toxicity of ILs with different anions in soil, three imidazolium-based ionic liquids (1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) were used to assess impact on Vicia faba. Following 10 d of exposure to these three ILs from 0 to 2500 mg kg-1, shoot length, root length and dry weight of Vicia faba were determined. Pot trials revealed that ILs inhibited Vicia faba growth and according to EC50 values, [C6mim]BF4 was the most toxic one. In addition, physiological indicators of Vicia faba were determined following 10 d of exposure at selected IL concentrations (0, 1, 10, 100 and 500 mg kg-1). ILs led to the generation of reactive oxygen species and then caused oxidative damage, including lipid peroxidation, protein damage and DNA damage, which triggered an increase in antioxidant content and enzyme activity. The experimental results indicated that oxidative stress may be the primary underlying toxic mechanism for Vicia faba. Furthermore, based on the data of physiological experiment, integrated biomarker response (IBR) was calculated to compare the toxicity of the three ILs and toxic order was: [C6mim]NO3＜[C6mim]Br＜[C6mim]BF4.
Keywords: Antioxidant enzyme; DNA damage; IBR; Oxidative stress; ROS.
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