Germanium accumulation and toxicity in barley

Halperin, Stephen; Barzilay, Adam; Carson, Matthew; Roberts, Cory; Lynch, Jonathan P.; Komarneni, Sridhar

doi:10.1080/01904169509364991

Cited by 30 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Though Ge is generally toxic to plants at high levels (Sankhla and Sankhla 1967;Halperin 1995), such levels were not measured in this study and therefore not a likely mechanism of Ge discrimination. Germanium physiology warrants consideration, as it has been shown to serve physiological functions (Loomis and Durst 1992;Cakmak et al 1995) that differ from those of Si (Epstein 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The ratio of germanium to silicon in plant phytoliths: quantification of biological discrimination under controlled experimental conditions

et al. 2007

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Slight differences in the chemical behavior of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) during soil weathering enable Ge/Si ratios to be used as a tracer of Si pathways. Mineral weathering and biogenic silicon cycling are the primary modifiers of Ge/Si ratios, but knowledge of the biogenic cycling component is based on relatively few studies. We conducted two sets of greenhouse experiments in order to better quantify the range and variability in Ge discrimination by plants. Graminoid species commonly found in North American grassland systems, Agropyron smithii, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Andropogon gerardii were grown under controlled hydroponic environmental conditions. Silicon leaf contents were positively correlated with solution Si and ambient temperature but not with nutrient solution pH, electrical conductivity, or species. The Ge/Si ratio incorporated into phytoliths shows a distribution coefficient [(Ge/Si) phytolith /(Ge/Si) solution ] of about 0.2 and is remarkably invariant between species, photosynthetic pathway, and solution temperature. Ge seems to be discriminated against during the uptake and translocation of Si to the opal deposition sites by about a factor of five. In the second experiment, a wider range of graminoid species (Agropyron smithii, Bouteloua gracilis, Buchloe dactyloides, Oryzopsis hymenoides, Schizachyrium scoparium and Andropogon gerardii) were grown in two different soil mediums. Plant phytoliths showed a distribution factor of about 0.4 for field grown grasses, and 0.6 for potting soil grown grasses with no clear trends among the species. Evidence of the direction and degree of biological Ge discrimination during plant uptake provides a geochemical finger print for plants and improves the utility of Ge/Si ratios in studies of terrestrial weathering and links between Si cycles in terrestrial and marine systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The ratio of germanium to silicon in plant phytoliths: quantification of biological discrimination under controlled experimental conditions

et al. 2007

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“…Barley seedlings accumulated Ge in both roots and shoots. In shoots Ge accumulated linearly with increases in medium/high Ge concentrations, demonstrating that barley plants can accumulate Ge (Halperin et al 1995). This reported study suggested that Ge is not toxic to plants at levels that might occur in normally mined areas (Halperin et al 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…In plants, studies have reported the effects of Ge treatment on plant growth and its uptake from barley, rice, lettuce, and ginseng seedlings (Sankhla and Sankhla 1967;Tensho and Yeh 1972;Halperin et al 1995;Lee et al 2005;Yu et al 2005;Lim et al 2008). Barley seedlings accumulated Ge in both roots and shoots.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Accumulation and Toxicity of Germanium in Cucumber under Different Types of Germaniums

Choi

Seo

Han

et al. 2013

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

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The effects of germanium dioxide (GeO 2 ) and 2-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) treatments on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) growth and Ge accumulation and toxicity were investigated. Accumulated Ge contents in plant treated with GeO 2 were two times greater than that in plants treated with Ge-132. Germanium accumulated primarily in the shoots in the GeO 2 treatments and in the roots in the Ge-132 treatments. In contrast GeO 2 was easily transported from roots to shoots. In cucumber fruit, the range of Ge content in both the GeO 2 and Ge-132 treatments was in the order of stalk > rind > pulp > seeds, suggesting that Ge accumulation was based on distance from xylem. Silicon (Si) content significantly decreased as GeO 2 concentration increased, but there was no difference in Si content in the Ge-132 treatment. Therefore, plant growth and Ge accumulation are affected differently by GeO 2 and Ge-132 treatments, based partly on treatment concentrations.

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“…Metalloid germanium (Ge) occurring in Earth's crust in trace levels is toxic to plants at high levels (Halperin et al 1995) and with physiological functions in trace levels (Loomis and Durst 1992) (Cakmak et al 1995). It exhibits chemical properties similar to silicon (Si).…”

Section: Bismuthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uncommon heavy metals, metalloids and their plant toxicity: a review

et al. 2008

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Heavy metals still represent a group of dangerous pollutants, to which close attention is paid. Many heavy metals are essential as important constituents of pigments and enzymes, mainly zinc, nickel and copper. However, all metals, especially cadmium, lead, mercury and copper, are toxic at high concentration because of disrupting enzyme functions, replacing essential metals in pigments or producing reactive oxygen species. The toxicity of less common heavy metals and metalloids, such as thallium, arsenic, chromium, antimony, selenium and bismuth, has been investigated. Here, we review the phytotoxicity of thallium, chromium, antimony, selenium, bismuth, and other rare heavy metals and metalloids such as tellurium, germanium, gallium, scandium, gold, platinum group metals (palladium, platinum and rhodium), technetium, tungsten, uranium, thorium, and rare earth elements yttrium and lanthanum, and the 14 lanthanides cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lutetium, neodymium, promethium, praseodymium, samarium, terbium, thulium and ytterbium.

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Germanium accumulation and toxicity in barley

Cited by 30 publications

References 14 publications

The ratio of germanium to silicon in plant phytoliths: quantification of biological discrimination under controlled experimental conditions

The ratio of germanium to silicon in plant phytoliths: quantification of biological discrimination under controlled experimental conditions

Accumulation and Toxicity of Germanium in Cucumber under Different Types of Germaniums

Uncommon heavy metals, metalloids and their plant toxicity: a review

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