Toxicity of vanadium in soil on soybean at different growth stages

- About 37% of the spiked V(V) in soil was transformed to reduced form within one day.
- V exposure led to low production of soybean.
- V concentration of bean planted in V polluted soil remained low.
- V concentration in bean is not a potential indicator of V pollution in soil.
- Chlorophyll concentration is not a suitable indicator of V contamination in soil.

Vanadium(V) is present in trace amounts in most plants and widely distributed in soils. However, the environmental toxicity of V compound in soils is controversial. A greenhouse study with soybean from germination to bean production under exposure to pentavalent V [V(V)] was conducted to elucidate the interaction of plants and V fractions in soils and to evaluate the toxicity of V at different plant growth stages. Soybean growth has no effect on non-specific-bond and specific-bond fractions of V in soils, but V fractionation occurred in more extraction-resistant phases at high V concentrations. High concentrations of V(V) postponed the germination and growth of the soybeans. Bean production was less than half of that of the control at 500 mg kg−1 spiked V(V). For the 0 mg kg−1 spiked V(V) treated plants, the root was not the main location where V was retained. Vanadium in the soils at ≤ 250 mg kg−1 did not significantly affect the V concentration in the shoot and leaf of soybeans. With the increase in V concentration in soil, V concentrations in roots increased, whereas those in beans and pods decreased. From vegetative growth to the reproductive growth, the soybeans adsorbed more V and accumulated more V in the roots, with <20% transported to the aboveground parts. Hence, the analysis of V concentration in vegetative tissues or beans may not be a useful indicator for V pollution in soil. Meanwhile, the ratio of V concentration in cell wall to the total V concentration in the root increased with the increase in V(V) concentration in soils. Our results revealed that high concentrations of V inhibited soybean germination and biomass production. However, plants may produce self-defense systems to endure V toxicity.

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