Comparison of Phytotoxicity of Selected Phosphonium Ionic Liquid

Abstract

Ionic liquids have attracted considerable interest in various areas as new, non-volatile and nonflammable organic solvents, catalysts, reaction additives, ligands, drugs and other dedicated materials etc. Their general use, sometimes in bulky quantities, requires determination of their potential ecotoxicity on selected organisms. In the present work, influence of triphenylmethylphosphonium iodide (1) and triphenylhexadecylphosphonium iodide (2), introduced to soil, on germination and early stages of growth and development of superior plants was investigated using the plant growth test based on the OECD/OCDE 208/2006. In this test, the seeds of selected species, i.e. land superior plants -spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) and common radish (Raphanus sativus L. subvar. radicula Pers.) were planted in pots containing soil to which a test chemical compound had been added and in pots with control soil. To evaluate the phytotoxicity of ionic liquids 1 and 2 germination and weight (dry and fresh) of control plant seedlings were determined and compared with the germination and weight (dry and fresh) of the seedlings of plants grown in the soil watered with appropriate amounts of the test chemicals. The visual assessment of any types of damage to the test species, such as growth inhibition, chlorosis and necrosis, was also carried out and documented by digital photographs. Based on the obtained results, magnitudes of the LOEC -the lowest concentration causing observable effects in the form of reduction in growth and germination compared with the control and the NOEC -the highest concentration not causing observable, toxic effects -were also determined.

The effect of ionic liquids with the tetrafluoroborate anion on terrestrial plants

“…The results of the research have shown that the toxic effect of chemical substances on terrestrial plants depends on their concentration. Similar opinion has been presented in the literature for different group of the ionic liquids [23]. Another factor conditioning the toxicity of chemical substances are of plant species and varieties [4,24,25], which was also confirmed in this work.…”

Microbial Biocompatibility and Biodegradability of Choline-Amino Acid Based Ionic Liquids

“…Therefore, the smaller and lighter the anions are the more biocompatible the AAILs are. However, according to some authors the anions of IL do not affect the ecotoxicity but instead determines their physical and chemical properties which include solubility, viscosity and melting temperatures [54,55]. Recent studies indicate that the anion effect has been overlooked for it possibility to contribute to the overall toxicity [44]; focusing on fluorine as the anion which collectively played role in the toxicity of the ILs.…”

Environmental Impact of Ionic Liquids: Recent Advances in (Eco)toxicology and (Bio)degradability

“…For instance, the phosphonium derivatives triphenylphosphonium iodide and triphenylhexadecylphosphonium iodide exhibit high toxicity towards spring barley Hordeum vulgare and common radish Raphanus sativus . In fact, just 80 mg of triphenylphosphonium iodide and 100 mg of triphenylhexadecylphosphonium iodide per 1 kg of dry soil mass for both the spring barley and common radish can cause detectable effects on the growth and germination of plants . Imidazolium‐based ILs also exhibit potential phytotoxicity to these species, but to a lesser extent.…”