| Title | Evaluation of morpho-physiological traits and contaminant accumulation ability in Lemna minor L. treated with increasing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations under laboratory conditions |
| Abstract | There is increasing concern about the effects of releasing emerging contaminants (i.e. endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal-care products and flame retardants) into the environment. Particular attention is being paid to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) because of their persistence and bioaccumulation, especially in the aquatic environment. In this paper, we present results of a study aimed at evaluating the effects of different perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations (2, 20 and 200 ?g/L) on morpho-physiological traits in Lemna minor L. plants. The accumulation of PFOA in the plant's tissues was also monitored. L. minor was selected as a model plant for ecotoxicological studies, and we performed a seven-day assay for this investigation. The results highlight the lack of inhibitory effects on biometric parameters such as mean frond area, total frond number, multiplication rate, doubling time of frond number and average specific growth rate, for each of tested PFOA concentrations. Also, at photosynthetic level, physiological measurements showed that chlorophyll content and electron transport rate (ETR) were not affected by the exposure to PFOA. Remarkably, the chlorophyll fluorescence images, used for the first time in a study on PFOA, evidenced no impairment to the photosynthetic efficiency, measured by the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (Fv/Fm), the quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (?PSII) and the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) over the leaf surface of PFOA-treated plants, in comparison to control. Quantification of PFOA in the growth medium at the end of the seven-day test revealed no statistically different concentrations in plates with or without L. minor plants. We detected increasing PFOA accumulation in plant tissues, in accordance with the PFOA concentrations in the medium. Therefore, the L. minor plants were capable of taking up and accumulating PFOA. The ecological impact of the environmentally relevant PFOA concentrations tested in this work on biological organisms of the aquatic environment is discussed. |
| Source | Science of the total environment 695 (133828) |
| Keywords | Aquatic plantsChlorophyll fluorescenceDuckweedEcotoxicologyEmerging contaminantsPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) |
| Journal | Science of the total environment |
| Editor | Elsevier, Lausanne ;, Paesi Bassi |
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133828 |
| Authors | Pietrini, Fabrizio; Passatore, L.; Fischetti, E.; Carloni, Serena; Ferrario, Claudia; Polesello, Stefano; Zacchini, Massimo |
| Text | 408811 2019 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133828 Scopus 2 s2.0 85070495205 ISI Web of Science WOS WOS 000496802200017 Aquatic plants Chlorophyll fluorescence Duckweed Ecotoxicology Emerging contaminants Perfluoroalkyl substances PFAS Evaluation of morpho physiological traits and contaminant accumulation ability in Lemna minor L. treated with increasing perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA concentrations under laboratory conditions Pietrini, Fabrizio; Passatore, L.; Fischetti, E.; Carloni, Serena; Ferrario, Claudia; Polesello, Stefano; Zacchini, Massimo 1Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri IRET , Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche 2Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque IRSA , Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche There is increasing concern about the effects of releasing emerging contaminants i.e. endocrine disrupting chemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and flame retardants into the environment. Particular attention is being paid to perfluoroalkyl substances PFAS because of their persistence and bioaccumulation, especially in the aquatic environment. In this paper, we present results of a study aimed at evaluating the effects of different perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA concentrations 2, 20 and 200 g/L on morpho physiological traits in Lemna minor L. plants. The accumulation of PFOA in the plant s tissues was also monitored. L. minor was selected as a model plant for ecotoxicological studies, and we performed a seven day assay for this investigation. The results highlight the lack of inhibitory effects on biometric parameters such as mean frond area, total frond number, multiplication rate, doubling time of frond number and average specific growth rate, for each of tested PFOA concentrations. Also, at photosynthetic level, physiological measurements showed that chlorophyll content and electron transport rate ETR were not affected by the exposure to PFOA. Remarkably, the chlorophyll fluorescence images, used for the first time in a study on PFOA, evidenced no impairment to the photosynthetic efficiency, measured by the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II PSII photochemistry Fv/Fm , the quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry PSII and the non photochemical quenching NPQ over the leaf surface of PFOA treated plants, in comparison to control. Quantification of PFOA in the growth medium at the end of the seven day test revealed no statistically different concentrations in plates with or without L. minor plants. We detected increasing PFOA accumulation in plant tissues, in accordance with the PFOA concentrations in the medium. Therefore, the L. minor plants were capable of taking up and accumulating PFOA. The ecological impact of the environmentally relevant PFOA concentrations tested in this work on biological organisms of the aquatic environment is discussed. 695 Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 85070495205 origin=inward articolo 2019_Pietrini_PFAS_Lemna.pdf Articolo in rivista Elsevier 0048 9697 Science of the total environment Science of the total environment Sci. total environ. FERRARIO CLAUDIA laura.passatore PASSATORE LAURA stefano.polesello POLESELLO STEFANO massimo.zacchini ZACCHINI MASSIMO fabrizio.pietrini PIETRINI FABRIZIO serena.carloni CARLONI SERENA TA.P07.010.001 Ripristino ecologico, biorimedio e biomitigazione TA.P04.038.001 Fisiologia ambientale e molecolare degli stress abiotici |
