Photosynthesis and oxidative stress in the restinga plant species Eugenia uniflora L. exposed to simulated acid rain and iron ore dust deposition: Potential use in environmental risk assessment

The Brazilian sandy coastal plain named restinga is frequently subjected to particulate and gaseous emissions from iron ore factories. These gases may come into contact with atmospheric moisture and produce acid rain. The effects of the acid rain on vegetation, combined with iron excess in the soil,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The Science of the total environment Vol. 407; no. 12; pp. 3740 - 3745
Main Authors:	Neves, Natália Rust, Oliva, Marco Antonio, da Cruz Centeno, Danilo, Costa, Alan Carlos, Ribas, Rogério Ferreira, Pereira, Eduardo Gusmão
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01-06-2009 [Amsterdam; New York]: Elsevier Science Elsevier
Subjects:	acid deposition Acid Rain - toxicity Animal, plant and microbial ecology antioxidant activity Antioxidant enzymes Applied ecology Biological and medical sciences Catalase - analysis chemical composition Chlorophyll a fluorescence coastal plains Dust dust emissions Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi environmental assessment Environmental Monitoring enzyme activity Eugenia uniflora Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Gas exchange indicator species iron Iron - toxicity iron accumulation iron content oxidative stress Oxidative Stress - drug effects Particulate matter Peroxidase - analysis photosynthesis Photosynthesis - drug effects phytotoxicity plant damage Plant Leaves - drug effects rainfall simulation Risk Assessment Superoxide Dismutase - analysis Syzygium - drug effects Syzygium - enzymology Syzygium - metabolism Brazil Chlorophyll a fluorescence Gas exchange Antioxidant enzymes Particulate matter Eugenia uniflora Oxidative stress Fluorescence Acid rain Acid precipitation Dicotyledones Risk assessment Angiospermae Myrtaceae Enzyme Solid particle Risk analysis Antioxidant Iron ore Chlorophyll a Suspended particle Dust Environment impact Air pollution Spermatophyta Atmospheric precipitation Photosynthesis
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Summary:	The Brazilian sandy coastal plain named restinga is frequently subjected to particulate and gaseous emissions from iron ore factories. These gases may come into contact with atmospheric moisture and produce acid rain. The effects of the acid rain on vegetation, combined with iron excess in the soil, can lead to the disappearance of sensitive species and decrease restinga biodiversity. The effects of iron ore dust deposition and simulated acid rain on photosynthesis and on antioxidant enzymes were investigated in Eugenia uniflora, a representative shrub species of the restinga. This study aimed to determine the possible utility of this species in environmental risk assessment. After the application of iron ore dust as iron solid particulate matter (SPM Fe) and simulated acid rain (pH 3.1), the 18-month old plants displayed brown spots and necrosis, typical symptoms of iron toxicity and injuries caused by acid rain, respectively. The acidity of the rain intensified leaf iron accumulation, which reached phytotoxic levels, mainly in plants exposed to iron ore dust. These plants showed the lowest values for net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration, chlorophyll a content and electron transport rate through photosystem II (PSII). Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were decreased by simulated acid rain. Peroxidase activity and membrane injury increased following exposure to acid rain and simultaneous SPM Fe application. Eugenia uniflora exhibited impaired photosynthetic and antioxidative metabolism in response to combined iron and acid rain stresses. This species could become a valuable tool in environmental risk assessment in restinga areas near iron ore pelletizing factories. Non-invasive evaluations of visual injuries, photosynthesis and chlorophyll a fluorescence, as well as invasive biochemical analysis could be used as markers.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.02.035 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-2 ObjectType-Feature-1
ISSN:	0048-9697 1879-1026
DOI:	10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.02.035