Stomatal Conductance Measurement for Toxicity Assessment in Zero-Effluent Constructed Wetlands: Effects of Landfill Leachate on Hydrophytes

Andrzej Białowiec, Jacek A. Koziel and Piotr Manczarski
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Andrzej Białowiec: Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Jacek A. Koziel: Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Piotr Manczarski: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-7

Abstract: In this research, we explore for the first time the use of leaf stomatal conductance (g s ) for phytotoxicity assessment. Plants respond to stress by regulating transpiration. Transpiration can be correlated with stomatal conductance when the water vapor pressure gradient for transpiration is constant. Thus, our working hypothesis was that the g s measurement could be a useful indicator of the effect of toxic compounds on plants. This lab-scale study aimed to test the measurement of g s as a phytotoxicity indicator. Our model plants were two common hydrophytes used in zero-effluent constructed wetlands for treating landfill leachate. The toxic influence of two types of leachate from old landfills (L1, L2) on common reed ( Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.) and sweet flag ( Acorus calamus L.) was tested. The g s measurements correlated well with plant response to treatments with six solutions (0 to 100%) of landfill leachate. Sweet flag showed higher tolerance to leachate solutions compared to common reed. The estimated lowest effective concentration (LOEC) causing the toxic effect values for these leachates were 3.94% of L1 and 5.76% of L2 in the case of reed, and 8.51% of L1 and 10.44% of L2 in the case of sweet flag. Leachate L1 was more toxic than L2. The leaf stomatal conductance measurement can be conducted in vivo and in the field. The proposed approach provides a useful parameter for indicating plant responses to the presence of toxic factors in the environment.

Keywords: environmental pollution; remediation; landfill leachate; constructed wetlands; hydrophytes; leaf stomatal conductance; plants transpiration; LOEC; environmental analysis; environmental assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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