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Detection of sulphite in plants
K Huber1, H Esterbauer, H J Jäger
1Institut für Biochemie der Universität Graz, A-8010 Graz, Schubertstrasse 1, Austria.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Pea plants effectively detoxify sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), preventing sulfite accumulation. Detectable sulfite levels only occur under extremely high SO(2) exposure, indicating plant resilience to moderate air pollution.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Environmental Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) is a common air pollutant with potential phytotoxicity.
- Understanding plant sulfite metabolism is crucial for assessing air quality impacts on vegetation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sulfite accumulation in pea plants exposed to varying concentrations of SO(2).
- To determine the plant's capacity for SO(2) detoxification.
Main Methods:
- Artificially fumigating pea plants with controlled SO(2) concentrations.
- Quantifying sulfite content in plant tissues using a sensitive analytical method.
Main Results:
- No detectable sulfite was found in pea plants exposed to moderate SO(2) levels (0.15-0.45 mg m(-3)) for 3 weeks.
- Sulfite was only detected in plants exposed to very high SO(2) doses (2.6-26 mg m(-3)) for 12-48 hours.
- The steady-state sulfite level in plant tissues was determined to be below 4 x 10(-5)M.
Conclusions:
- Pea plants possess highly effective enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms to rapidly detoxify absorbed SO(2).
- This efficient detoxification prevents significant sulfite accumulation, even under prolonged moderate SO(2) exposure.
- Minimal sulfite accumulation suggests SO(2)-damaged plant material will contain only trace amounts.