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Phytotoxicity of aluminium-fluoride complexes and their uptake from solution culture by Avena sativa and Lycopersicon esculentum

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Abstract

Avena sativa (oats) and Lycopersiconesculentum (tomatoes) were grown in dilute nutrientsolutions supplemented with Al only, F only or acombination of both. In solutions containing Al andF, shoot growth was limited when predicted Alr(Al3+, AlOH2+ and Al(OH)\(_2^ + \))activities were < 0.1 μM, activities three orders ofmagnitude lower than the critical value determinedwith Al only. The data suggest that at the activitiesused in these experiments, Alr is most toxic,AlF2+ and AlF\(_2^ + \) are toxic to a lesserextent, and AlF3, AlF\(_4^ - \) and F-are least toxic. Fluoride concentrations in shootsgrown in solutions correlated best with positivelycharged AlF\(_x^{3 - x} \) species (i.e.AlF2+, AlF\(_2^ + \)) and the molar ratio ofF:Al in most plants shoots was about 3:2. However,when activities of positively chargedAlF\(_x^{3 - x} \) species were low (< 50 μM)and theactivity of AlF3 species high (500 μM) the molarratio of F:Al in plant shoots suggested AlF3 wastaken up. These findings are discussed in relation toplant uptake and toxicity. Measured concentrations of Alr and F- insolutions containing Al and F were compared withconcentrations predicted by a computer model(GEOCHEM-PC). The method for measuring F-concentrations, using a non-complexing buffer and Fion-selective electrode, gave good agreement withpredicted F- concentrations. The8-hydroxyquinoline method for measuring Alrconcentrations did not agree with predictedconcentrations, highlighting the limitations of thismethod when measuring Alr in the presence of F ina multi-ligand system with high concentrations of Fand Al.

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Authors
  1. D.P. Stevens
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  2. M.J. McLaughlin
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  3. A.M. Alston
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Stevens, D., McLaughlin, M. & Alston, A. Phytotoxicity of aluminium-fluoride complexes and their uptake from solution culture by Avena sativa and Lycopersicon esculentum. Plant and Soil 192, 81–93 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004224526067

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