Back to homepage / Zpět na úvodní stránku

Plant Stress Physiology
What are we interested in and why?

Increasing amounts of different pollutants from anthropogenic sources (sulphur and nitrogen oxids, heavy metals, organic pollutants) can affect structure and function of ecosystems or diversity of plant species. Long-term exposure of plants to these toxicants in the environment also leads to the reduction of quality and increments of biomass, reduction of oxygen production. Too high level of pollution can cause damage of natural habitat.

Laboratory of Plant stress physiology is focused on the study of effects of persistent organic pollutants - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Al) on plants. Plants can as a dominant biotic component of terrestrial ecosystems, take up, transport, metabolize and accumulate these compounds and bring them to the higher levels of food chain.

Although these pollutants are so dangerous, the scientific evaluation of their effect on living organisms is still insufficient. The aim of our work is to contribute partially to the deepening of recent knowledge about effects of this important group of environmental pollutants on vegetation.

What is already known?

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons:

• Ø      originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources and the latter of them are the most important,
• Ø      are formed especially during incomplete combustion of organic matter (plastic, fossil fuels, wood and biomass),
• Ø      contain two or more cendensed benzene rings in their molecule
• Ø      are of lipophilic nature and show various physico-chemical properties (mostly according to their molecular weight),
• Ø      and their derivatives, mainly epoxides, are highly toxic and mutagenic (and cancerogenic) for both microorganisms and higher living systems including humans,
• Ø      enter the plant via various ways (roots, shoot epidermis, stomata etc.) and could be partly degraded there,
• Ø      could cause acute, chronic and latent damage to plants according to the length of exposure period especially in combination with another environmental factors,
• Ø      influence all stages of plant growth and development from germination to reproduction via changes and damages in biochemical and physiological processes.

Back to homepage / Zpět na úvodní stránku