Soil Pollution Alters ATP and Chlorophyll Contents in Pisum sativum Seedlings

Abstract

Pisum sativum L. cv. Phenomen plants were grown in pots in greenhouse and their growth, and ATP and chlorophyll (Chl) a and b contents were assessed after 9-d exposure to sodium arsenate [0.04 and 0.07 mmol kg-1(soil)], or to lead acetate [2.0 and 4.0 mmol kg-1(soil)], or zinc acetate [5.3 and 9.3 mmol kg-1(soil)]. The luciferin-luciferase method was used for ATP analyses. Soil pollution reduced significantly the growth, but the low toxicant concentrations elevated the cotyledon and shoot ATP concentrations per fresh matter content. The ATP/Chl ratio was increased in the zinc-treated seedlings as compared with the respective controls. The ATP concentration and a number of growth parameters were negatively correlated, and thus the high ATP content might contribute to the significantly reduced growth of seedlings.