Effect of solid waste from a chlor‐alkali factory on rice plants: mercury accumulation and changes in biochemical variables

Seedlings of Oryza sativa var IR 36, when exposed to mercury contaminated waste soil from a chlor‐alkali factory, accumulated an appreciable amount of mercury depending on the waste soil and time. The nucleic acids and protein contents of the shoot material decreased with the increasing amount of waste soil and time. But the free‐amino acids content increased with the contamination of the soil and time. Changes in the variables were significantly correlated with waste soil combinations and mercury uptake. The changes in variables were also statistically significant. An increase in RNA/DNA ratio was observed indicating an enhanced synthesis of RNA per molecule of DNA.

Key words:

• Mercury pollution
• biochemical variables
• rice plants