Environmental risk substances in soil on seed germination: Chemical species, inhibition performance, and mechanisms

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 472; p. 134518
• Main Authors: Luo, Cheng, Zhang, Linyan, Ali, Mahmoud M., Xu, Yongdong, Liu, Zhidan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 05-07-2024
• Subjects: Coping measures; Environmental risk substances; Inhibition mechanism; Seed germination; Coping measures; Inhibition mechanism; Environmental risk substances; Seed germination
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134518

Nowadays, numerous environmental risk substances in soil worldwide have exhibited serious germination inhibition of crop seeds, posing a threat to food supply and security. This review provides a comprehensive summary and discussion of the inhibitory effects of environmental risk substances on seed germination, encompassing heavy metals, microplastics, petroleum hydrocarbons, salinity, phenols, essential oil, agricultural waste, antibiotics, etc. The impacts of species, concentrations, and particle sizes of various environmental risk substances are critically investigated. Furthermore, three primary inhibition mechanisms of environmental risk substances are elucidated: hindering water absorption, inducing oxidative damage, and damaging seed cells/organelles/cell membranes. To address these negative impacts, diverse effective coping measures such as biochar/compost addition, biological remediation, seed priming, coating, and genetic modification are proposed. In brief, this study systematically analyzes the negative effects of environmental risk substances on seed germination, and provides a basis for the comprehensive understanding and future implementation of efficient treatments to address this significant challenge and ensure food security and human survival.
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•The adverse impact of soil pollutants on seed germination is critically reviewed.•Both the pollutant properties and seed types effect the inhibition performance.•The inhibition mechanisms of soil pollutants are comprehensively analyzed.•Possible coping measures are proposed to alleviate seed inhibition.