PHYTO-INDICATORS IN DETECTION OF LINDANE RESIDUES IN WATER

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Ecotoxicology
• Plant Physiology

Background:

• Intensive agricultural pesticide use, particularly insecticides like lindane, has led to widespread water and sediment contamination.
• Lindane, a persistent organic pollutant, poses risks to food chains and is listed as a priority water pollutant.
• Biological testing using sensitive plant species is emerging as a valuable method for detecting water pollutants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate white mustard (Sinapis alba L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as phyto-indicators for lindane water contamination.
• To assess the impact of various lindane concentrations on the physiological and morphological parameters of these plant species.

Main Methods:

• A modified filter paper method (ISTA Regulations, 2011) was employed to test lindane's effects on seed germination and seedling growth.
• Lindane concentrations ranged from 0.1 μg a.i./L (maximal allowable concentration) to 2 μg a.i./L.
• Physiological (germination energy, germination) and morphological (root/shoot length, fresh/dry weight) parameters were measured, with data analyzed using Duncan's multiple range test.

Main Results:

• White mustard exhibited significantly inhibited germination energy and germination rates at the maximal allowable concentration of lindane.
• Lindane inhibited root elongation in barley seedlings at 2 μg a.i./L and in cucumber seedlings at 0.5 μg a.i./L.
• Fresh root weight of barley seedlings was also inhibited by lindane at the maximal allowable concentration.

Conclusions:

• White mustard's germination energy and germination serve as sensitive and reliable bio-indicators for detecting lindane in water.
• Barley's fresh root weight is a valid indicator for lindane presence at maximal allowable concentrations.
• Phyto-indicators offer a promising biological approach for monitoring lindane contamination in aquatic environments.