Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Response of Soybean Seed Germination to Cadmium and Acid Rain

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) pollution and acid rain are the main environmental issues, and they often occur in the same agricultural region. Nevertheless, up to now, little information on the combined pollution of Cd2+ and acid rain action on crops were presented. Here, we investigated the combined effect of Cd2+ and acid rain on the seed germination of soybean. The results indicated that the single treatment with the low level of Cd2+ (0.18, 1.0, 3.0 mg L−1) or acid rain (pH ≥3.0) could not affect the seed germination of soybean, which was resulted in the increased activities of peroxidase and catalase. The single treatment with the high concentration of Cd2+ (>6 mg L−1) or acid rain at pH 2.5 decreased the activities of peroxidase and catalase, damaged the cell membrane and then decreased the seed germination of soybean. Meanwhile, the same toxic effect was observed in the combined treatment with Cd2+ and acid rain, and the combined treatment had more toxic effect than the single treatment with Cd2+ or acid rain. Thus, the combined pollution of Cd2+ and acid rain had more potential threat to the seed germination of soybean than the single pollution of Cd2+ or acid rain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shiel AE, Weis D, Orians KJ (2010) Evaluation of zinc, cadmium and lead isotope fractionation during smelting and refining. Sci Total Environ 408(11):2357–2368

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Murali KR, Thirumoorthy P, Sengodan V (2009) Pulse plated cadmium telluride films and their characteristics. Ionics 15(2):209–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Safranek WH (2003) Cadmium plating. Plat Surf Finish 90(8):17–18

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kumar A, Pastore P (2007) Lead and cadmium in soft plastic toys. Curr Sci 93:818–822

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Baize D (2009) Cadmium in soils and cereal grains after sewage-sludge application on French soils. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 29(1):175–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Thara GS, Biddappa CC (2010) Chromatographic migration of cadmium and nickel in different soil types of India. J Indian Chem Soc 87(11):1341–1344

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hasan SA, Fariduddin Q, Ali B, Hayat S, Ahmad A (2009) Cadmium: Toxicity and tolerance in plants. J Environ Biol 30(2):165–174

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Benavides M, Gallego S, Tomaro M (2005) Cadmium toxicity in plants. Braz J Plant Physiol 17:21–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Singh A, Agrawal M (2008) Acid rain and its ecological consequences. J Environ Biol 29(1):15–24

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Larssen T, Lydersen E, Tang DG, He Y, Gao JX, Liu HY, Duan L, Seip HM, Vogt RD, Mulder J, Shao M, Wang YH, Shang H, Zhang XS, Solberg S, Aas W, Okland T, Eilertsen O, Angell V, Liu QR, Zhao DW, Xiang RJ, Xiao JS, Luo JH (2006) Acid rain in China. Environ Sci Technol 40(2):418–425

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Menz FC, Seip HM (2004) Acid rain in Europe and the United States: an update. Environ Sci Policy 7(4):253–265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hu XM, Hu CX, Sun XC, Lu MX, Su B, Cao AY (2009) Effects of simulated acid rain on soil acidification, availabilities and temporal and spatial variations of Cu and Pb in a vegetable field under natural conditions. J Food Agric Environ 7(1):92–96

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Dias BB, Leite MD, Farago PV, de Oliveira AV, Beruski GC (2010) Sulfur effect by simulated acid rain on morphophysiological parameters of the bean plant. Acta Sci 32(3):433–439

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Wyrwicka A, Sklodowska M (2006) Influence of repeated acid rain treatment on antioxidative enzyme activities and on lipid peroxidation in cucumber leaves. Environ Exp Bot 56(2):198–204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Li W, Gao JX (2002) Acid deposition and integrated zoning control in China. Environ Manage 30(2):169–182

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Wang DZ, Jiang X, Rao W, He JZ (2009) Kinetics of soil cadmium desorption under simulated acid rain. Ecol Complex 6(4):432–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Liao BH, Liu HY, Lu SQ, Wang KF, Probst A, Probst JL (2003) Combined toxic effects of cadmium and acid rain on Vicia faba L. B Environ Contam Tox 71(5):998–1004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Liao BH, Liu HY, Zeng QE, Yu PZ, Probst A, Probst JL (2005) Complex toxic effects of Cd2+, Zn2+, and acid rain on growth of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L). Environ Int 31(6):891–895

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bewley J, Black M (1994) Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination. Plenum, New York

    Google Scholar 

  20. Wang XK, Xu M, Wang JM, Zhang YC (2009) Response of typical paddy soil fertility to long-term cultivation in Taihu Lake Region. Chinese J Eco Agr 17:220–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yaomin Z (1996) Effects of acid rain on leaf injury and physiological characteristics of crops. Agro-Environ Prot 15:197–208, 227

    Google Scholar 

  22. Hodges D, DeLong J, Forney C, Prange R (1999) Improving the thiobarbituric acid-reactive-substances assay for estimating lipid peroxidation in plant tissues containing anthocyanin and other interfering compounds. Planta 207(4):604–611

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Nakano Y, Asada K (1981) Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts. Plant Cell Physiol 22(5):867

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Beers RFJ, Sizer IW (1952) A spectrophotometric method for measuring the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide by catalase. J Biol Chem 195:133–140

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Spychalla JP, Desborough SL (1990) Fatty acids, membrane permeability, and sugars of stored potato tubers. Plant Physiol 94(3):1207–1213

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Buchanan B, Gruissem W, Jones R (2000) Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of Plants. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  27. Pandhair V, Sekhon BS (2006) Reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in plants: An overview. J Plant Biochem Biotech 15(2):71–78

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ahmad P, Jaleel CA, Salem MA, Nabi G, Sharma S (2010) Roles of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants in plants during abiotic stress. Crit Rev Biotechnol 30(3):161–175

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Benedet JA, Shibamoto T (2008) Role of transition metals, Fe(II), Cr(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II) in lipid peroxidation. Food Chem 107:165–168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kumar G, Knowles NR (1993) Changes in lipid peroxidation and lipolytic and free-radical scavenging enzyme activities during aging and sprouting of potato (Solanum tuberosum) seed-tubers. Plant Physiol 102(1):115–124

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Maeda H, Sage TL, Isaac G, Welti R, DellaPenna D (2008) Tocopherols modulate extraplastidic polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in arabidopsis at low temperature. Plant Cell 20(2):452–470

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the financial support of the Foundation of State Planning Committee (GJX01100626) and Foundation of Project of Education and Teaching Reform in Higher Education of Jiangsu Province (3-26-77).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Ting Ting Liu, Li Hong Wang & Qing Zhou

  2. School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Peng Wu

Authors
  1. Ting Ting Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peng Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Li Hong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qing Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qing Zhou.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liu, T.T., Wu, P., Wang, L.H. et al. Response of Soybean Seed Germination to Cadmium and Acid Rain. Biol Trace Elem Res 144, 1186–1196 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9053-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9053-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation