Influence of sulfate, nitrate, and chloride in simulated acidic rain on radish plants
The primary objective of this research was to test the hypothesis that sulfate (SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/), nitrate (NO/sub 3//sup -/), and chloride (Cl/sup -/), as major anionic components of rain, significantly affect plant growth or modify plant response to the acidity of rain. In the first experiment, above-ground portions of greenhouse-grown radish (Raphanus sativus L.) plants were given 10 1-h exposures over a 3-week period to simulated rain containing the individual acids, sulfuric (H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/) nitric HNO/sub 3/), hydrochloric (HCl), or a combination of H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ and HNO/sub 3/ at pH values between 2.6 and 5.0. A second experiment was performed using 2-h exposures on 4 consecutive days to simulated rain containing either H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, HNO/sub 3/, or HCl at pH values between 3.0 and 5.0. Reductions in hypocotyl growth were obtained at pH 2.6 in the first experiment and at 3.0 and 3.4 in the second experiment. Both the linear and quadratic components of the dose-response function for effects of acidity on hypocotyl dry mass were significant. There were no significant effects of anions on dry mass of hypocotyls nor was there a significant acidity by anion interaction in either exposure pattern. The similarity of effects on plant growth of H/sub 2/SP/sub 4/, HNO/sub 3/, and HCl in simulated rain suggests that differences in concentrations and ratios of SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, NO/sub 3//sup -/, and Cl/sup -/ in rain may not be important for agricultural crops. The validity of these conclusions should be tested for other species and different environmental, edaphic, and treatment conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY
- OSTI ID:
- 6989386
- Journal Information:
- J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 15:3; ISSN JEVQA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID RAIN
ANIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DATA
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOOD
GROWTH
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
IONS
LEAVES
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
RADISHES
RAIN
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFURIC ACID
TOXICITY
VEGETABLES