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Investigating Long-Distance Transport of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Wheat via a Split-Root Exposure Technique
Published on: September 28, 2022
Hormesis in plant systems: A widespread and highly generalizable phenomenon induced by per- and polyfluoroalkyl
Edward J Calabrese1, Peter Pressman2, A Wallace Hayes3
1Department of Environmental Health and Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
Abstract:
This paper provides the first comprehensive documentation and assessment of the capacity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) agents, including PFAS-based pesticides, to induce hormetic effects in plants, including agricultural crops, aquatic algae, seaweed and riparian species, as well as cyanobacteria and fungi. PFAS-induced-hormetic responses in plants were generally associated with their capacity to enhance growth processes, chlorophyll production and the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes to counter PFAS-induced oxidative stress. The findings show that PFAS induced-hormetic effects in highly diverse plant species is a reasonable biological expectation, showing considerable generality. Recognition that PFAS regularly induces hormetic effects in highly diverse plant species should help guide future PFAS research on plants with respect to study design strategies, dose selection, number of doses, dose spacing and temporal aspects of such studies.
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