Evaluation of Arsenic and Nutrients Uptake of Tomato Plant at Various Arsenic Concentrations of Irrigation Waters

ABSTRACT

Under various Arsenic (As) loads, growth of the tomato plant and changes in elemental uptake were investigated in this experimental study. Plants were transplanted into the As free soils and the loads of As were increased gradually with irrigation. The root and stem dry weights (DW) steadily increased with the increase of As concentration up to 1.5 mg L⁻¹, while the DW dropped to lower than the control plant’s DW when the As concentration was higher than mg L⁻¹. Although the leaves DW variations for the studied As concentrations were negligible, As application to the tomato plants positively affected the biomass amount of leaf. Considering the decrease in root/shoot ratio, the root growth was more promoted at low As concentrations, while the effect of As on the production rate of aboveground biomass could be neglected. When the As concentration was increased from 0.5 mg L⁻¹ to 3.0 mg L⁻¹, average 90% of the total applied As to the plants was accumulated in the root and As content in the root was enhanced about four times. Significantly higher levels of N, K, Mg, and Ca in the aerial parts of tomato than in roots were determined while the level of P was about equal in the tissues. Among the tissues, the lowest microelements; Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn concentrations were determined at the root of control plant. However, especially at high As loads, the increase in the amount of microelements in the root was considerably higher compared to the stem and leaf.

KEYWORDS:

• Uptake
• translocation
• groundwaters
• contamination