Germination of Medicago sativa is inhibited by soluble compounds in cement dust

Abstract

Deposition of cement dust on soils and plant surfaces is known to affect plant growth and the species composition of plant communities, but little is known about its effects (and those of its pH and constituents) on germination. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of an aqueous cement extract, constituents of the extract and pH on the germination of seeds of a selected species, Medicago sativa. First, the effects of the extract were tested in assays with concentrations and exposure durations ranging from 0 to 1.0 g/mL and 4 to 96 h, respectively. At 0.8 g/mL, the extract strongly inhibited germination; a 4-h exposure reduced the germination rate, from 77 ± 1.8 to 50 ± 2.6% (mean ± SE), while 8-h exposure completely inhibited it. Further, treatment at this concentration killed the non-germinating seeds, thus the inhibition was due to toxic effects. Neither the pH of the extract nor the concentration of its main soluble elements separately (K, Ca, S, Na, or Cr) caused the toxicity since germination rates were not significantly reduced when these variables were tested individually. However, a mixture of the elements in solution reduced germination rates, suggesting that they have adverse synergistic effects.

Effect of brewery wastewater obtained from different phases of treatment plant on seed germination of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), maize (Zea mays), and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)

“…da Costa Marques et al (2015 expressed that synthetic oilfield produced has lesser amounts of organic compounds and also contained micronutrients like Zn, Mn, and Fe which might have contributed to stimulatory effect on sunflower seedling growth. But Lafragueta et al (2014) concluded that aqueous extract of cement dust was found to have high concentrations of calcium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, and chromium and so alfalfa germination was not affected by individual element, but it was synergistic effect of mixture of all elements, whereas Lauchli and Luttge (2000) stated that inhibitory effect of distillery wastewater on germination, seedling growth, and phytotoxic effects may be due to its high salt concentration.…”

“…If water source containing higher salt concentrations are chosen, then that may lead to detrimental effect on plant growth in long run. Because in some species, seeds embryo is protected to salinity by seed coat, but after seed germination when it protrudes, then it might be injured by salts of solution/wastewater, thus leading to decreased growth (Lafragueta et al 2014). Hence, disposal of wastewater should be done after proper treatment to remove such high salts and any other possible contaminants.…”

Current perspectives in conductive materials research : a review of research trends.

“…La tinta conductiva también conocida como pintura conductora es un material excelente para dibujar circuitos electrónicos, es decir, su función es útil en cualquier tipo de superficie, principalmente en los materiales textiles o de papel [16].…”

“…Las tintas conductivas, son una especie de tinta con la capacidad de conducir electricidad [12], por consiguiente, las que tienen una mayor calidad tienen una composición de una sustancia líquida que no es conductora y que cuentan con millones de nanoparticulas que con propiedades conductoras, principalmente, el grafito y la plata. Es fundamental resaltar que [16] cuando las nanoparticulas se encuentran flotando van formando como una especie de cadena con diminutas esferas metálicas van permitiendo la circulación de los electrones, al brincar de una partícula a otra, pero, sin embargo, lo interesante de este punto, es que cuando la tinta seca estas partículas, las mismas, permanecen suspendidas formando un camino establecido por la que pasaría la corriente eléctrica.…”

Transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana in response to cement dust

“…Exposure to cement dust consistently resulted in leaf yellowing and necrosis (Mutlu et al 2013), altered leaf anatomy (Lukjanova and Mandre 2010), delayed germination (Lafragüeta et al 2014), growth reduction (Iqbal and Shafig 2001), and losses in crop yield (Misra et al 1993). Cement dust inputs on soil were shown to affect normal ionic homeostasis by interfering with the uptake, transport and use of several elements by plants (Mandre and Tuulmets 1997).…”