US EPA

4159120 

Journal Article 

Acceleration of catalase and peroxidase activities in Lemna minor L. and Allium cepa L. in response to low levels of aquatic mercury 

Subhadra, AV; Nanda, AK; Behera, PK; Panda, BB 

1991 

Yes 

Environmental Pollution
ISSN: 0269-7491
EISSN: 1873-6424 

BIOSIS/91/18619 

69 

2-3 

2-3 

English 

10.1016/0269-7491(91)90141-I 

WOS:A1991FE34500006 

BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. The purpose of this study was to assess certain physiological responses of Lemna minor L. (duckweed) and Allium cepa L. (onion) to aquatic mercury at low concentrations. Following a 96-h exposure of plants to nutrient medium contaminated with known levels of mercuric chloride (HgCl2), 0.001 to 4 mg litre-1 (0.0007 to 2.95 mg Hg litre-1) or methyl mercuric chloride (MeHgCl2), 0.0001 to 0.1 mg litre-1 (0.00007 to 0.07 mg Hg litre-1), the physiological endpoints measured were the growth of fronds (Lemna minor) or roots (Allium cepa), and catalase and peroxidase activities in both plant assays. The EC50 for HgCl2 on the basis of the growth curve of Lemna minor was found to be 2.1 mg litre-1. HgCl2 and MeHgCl2 were lethal to L. minor at concentrations of 4 an 0.01 mg litre-1, respectively. The range of low concentrations that accelerated growth as well as enzymic activities in L. minor was 0.004 to 0.04 mg litre-1 for HgCl2 and 0.0001 to 0.001 mg litre-1 for MeHgCl2. HgCl2 an