A New Model Describing Copper Dose–Toxicity to Tomato and Bok Choy Growth in a Wide Range of Soils

Bao Jiang, Yibing Ma, Guangyun Zhu and Jun Li
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Bao Jiang: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Yibing Ma: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Guangyun Zhu: School of Resources and Environment, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
Jun Li: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: Phytotoxicity thresholds for heavy metals are derived from dose–response curves, which show the relationships between exposure dose and toxicity response. However, the results of tests or observations are commonly based on total heavy metal concentration, not the exposure dose that causes phytotoxicity; additionally, the phytotoxicity response differs with plant species. In the present study, the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-extractable copper (Cu) concentration was determined in order to evaluate Cu extractability. As two important horticultural food crops in Asia, tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Meifen No. 1’) and bok choy ( Brassica rapa var. chinensis ‘Susheng 28’) were used to investigate Cu phytotoxicity in a wide range of Chinese soils with and without leaching treatment, after which relationships between Cu phytotoxicity thresholds based on EDTA-extractions and soil properties were established. The phytotoxicity thresholds showed that biomass of bok choy was more sensitive to Cu than tomato. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that soil factors, including organic carbon (OC), citrate dithionate extractable manganese (CD-Mn), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and CaCO 3 explained over 85% of the variance in Cu phytotoxicity thresholds. The EDTA-extractable Cu dose–response relationships were further improved by incorporating soil properties. The new phytotoxicity predictive models indicated soil properties (soil pH, OC, CEC, and oxalate-extractable Mn) and EDTA-extractable Cu concentration explained more than 90% of the variance in the phytotoxicity response of tomato and bok choy biomass. The new phytotoxicity predictive models could be used to develop a reasonable remediation strategy for contaminated soils.

Keywords: copper; dose–response relationship; EDTA-extractability; phytotoxicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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