Summary
All major photosynthetic pigments in spruce needles (Picea abies) are rapidly destroyed when the latter are UV-irradiated in the presence of tri-or tetrachloroethene at concentrations about 10-fold higher than those present in the lower atmosphere of industrialized countries. Uptake of chlorocarbons by spruce needles is fast, and the partition coefficients between the lipophilic compartments, such as the cuticle and cellular lipid membranes, and air are high. Volatile halogenated hydrocarbons are therefore suspected of being initiators of a phytotoxic phenomenon usually referred to as new forest decline. In conjunction with the fact that they seem to be preferentially deposited along the western slopes of mountain ranges receiving high precipitation, the phenomena preported here may indicate the initiation of a severe ecotoxicological manifestation by these widely used compounds.
References
Prinz, B., Krause, G. H. M., and Stratmann, H., LIS-Report 28, Landesanstalt für Immissionsschutz des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, Essen 1982.
Lichtenthaler, H. K., Naturw. Rdsch.37 (1984) 271.
Wild, A., Proceedings: Wirkungen von Luftverunreinigungen auf Waldbäume und Waldböden, p. 19. Jülich, West Germany 1985.
Lichtenthaler, H. K., and Buschmann, C., in: Advances in Photosynthesis Research, Ed. C. Sybesma, M. Nijhoff/D. W. Junk Publ., Den Haag 1984.
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Assessment of Forest Damages, October 1984 (UMPLIS).
Keller, T., and Häsler, R., Oecologia64 (1984) 284.
Prinz, B., Forst Holzwirt38 (1983) 460.
Frank, H., Nachr. Chem. Tech.32 (1984) 298.
Singh, H. B., Salas, L. J., and Stiles, R. E., J. geophys. Res.88 (1983) 3675.
Logan, J. A., Prather, M. J., Wofsy, S. C., and McElroy, M. B., J. geophys. Res.86 (1981) 7210.
Pearson, C. R.:, in: Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol. 3B, p. 69. Ed. O. Hutzinger: Springer, Berlin 1982.
Frank, H., and Frank, W., Naturwissenschaften72 (1985) 139.
Sato, A., and Nakajima, T., Archs environ. Hlth.34 (1979) 69.
Napp-Zinn, K., in: Encyclopedia of Plant Anatomy, vol. 8, part 1. Eds W. Zimmermann, P. Ozenda and H. D. Wulff. Borntraeger, Berlin 1966.
Hardie, D. W. R., in: Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, vol. 5, 2nd edn, p. 183. Eds R. E. Kirk and D. F. Otmer. New York 1964.
Bowen, E. J., and Rohatgi, K. K., Disc. Faraday Soc.14 (1953) 146.
Turro, N. J., and Barlett, P. D., J. org. Chem.30 (1965) 1849.
Arnon, D. I., Plant Physiol.24 (1949) 1.
Metzner, H., Pflanzenphysiologische Versuche, p. 220. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart/New York 1982.
Stransky, H., Z. Naturforsch.33c (1978) 836.
Elstner, E. F., and Osswald, W., Naturw. Rdsch.37 (1984) 52.
Neumayr, V., WaBolu-Ber.37 (1981) 24.
Link, B., Dürk, H., Thiel, D., and Frank, H., Biochem. J.223 (1984) 577.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Support by the Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Landesentwicklung und Umweltfragen is gratefully acknowledged.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frank, H., Frank, W. Photochemical activation of chloroethenes leading to destruction of photosynthetic pigments. Experientia 42, 1267–1269 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01946417
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01946417