Benzo(a)pyrene Uptake by Spring Barley Plants in Model Vegetation Experiment

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common environmental pollutants. They are formed by incomplete combustion of organic materials (coal, wood, oil and petroleum products). The most dangerous compound among PAHs is benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), as it is a carcinogen and a class 1 mutagen and must be controlled in all natural environments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of BaP in soil and plants under the conditions of a model vegetation experiment. The object of the study was spring barley, which was grown under the conditions of a model vegetation experiment, the soil of which was contaminated with various doses of BaP. The soil of the model experiment was incubated under conditions close to natural on the experimental site of the Southern Federal University (Russia, SFU) for 36 months. PAHs were extracted from soil samples using the ecologically clean express method of subcritical water extraction. The concentration of priority PAHs in soil samples was determined, and the concentration of BaP in the vegetative and root parts of barley plants was also determined. During 3 years of the experiment, there was a decrease in the concentration of PAHs in soil samples. The content of BaP in the soil and its accumulation in barley plants decreased during 3 years from the initial contamination.