Articles
ACCUMULATION AND EFFECTS OF HEAVY METALS IN LILIUM POLLEN
Article number
437_14
Pages
153 – 158
Language
Abstract
Flowers of Lilium longiflorum (Thunb.) were fed through their pedicel with zinc, copper, and lead at various concentrations.
The flowers were separated into individual parts and dried under normal laboratory conditions until reaching a constant air dry weight.
In treated flowers, loss of water was reduced significantly in comparison to control flowers, but in some cases the low concentrations of metal caused a faster tissue dehydration.
Pollen grains were sown in an aqueous culture medium and the germination rate and pollen tube length determined.
Treated flowers revealed an enhanced pollen germination rate in comparison to control flowers.
Cu and Zn caused a distinct increase in average tube length, whereas Pb reduced the growth rate only at low concentrations.
Pollen tubes from treated flowers showed an uneven or aberrant growth.
The heavy metal uptake by flower parts was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.
The uptake of all metal ions increased with the concentration of the solution and differed among the flower parts.
The uptake of zinc in pollen grains and all flower parts at lower concentrations was negligible, whereas at higher concentrations the uptake was distinct in petals, stigma and filaments.
Anthers showed the lowest uptake values.
In the case of lead, at higher concentrations the uptake was distinct in pollen grains and in other flower parts.
Petals showed the highest accumulation, followed by anthers.
The uptake of copper at lower concentration was distinct mostly in the stigma.
At higher concentrations the uptake was distinct in the pedicel, petals and style, whereas pollen grains showed much less uptake.
The flowers were separated into individual parts and dried under normal laboratory conditions until reaching a constant air dry weight.
In treated flowers, loss of water was reduced significantly in comparison to control flowers, but in some cases the low concentrations of metal caused a faster tissue dehydration.
Pollen grains were sown in an aqueous culture medium and the germination rate and pollen tube length determined.
Treated flowers revealed an enhanced pollen germination rate in comparison to control flowers.
Cu and Zn caused a distinct increase in average tube length, whereas Pb reduced the growth rate only at low concentrations.
Pollen tubes from treated flowers showed an uneven or aberrant growth.
The heavy metal uptake by flower parts was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.
The uptake of all metal ions increased with the concentration of the solution and differed among the flower parts.
The uptake of zinc in pollen grains and all flower parts at lower concentrations was negligible, whereas at higher concentrations the uptake was distinct in petals, stigma and filaments.
Anthers showed the lowest uptake values.
In the case of lead, at higher concentrations the uptake was distinct in pollen grains and in other flower parts.
Petals showed the highest accumulation, followed by anthers.
The uptake of copper at lower concentration was distinct mostly in the stigma.
At higher concentrations the uptake was distinct in the pedicel, petals and style, whereas pollen grains showed much less uptake.
Publication
Authors
T. Sawidis
Keywords
Lilium, heavy metals, pollen, germination, tube growth
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