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Responses of Radish to All Combinations of Three Concentrations of Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, and Ozone
Author(s) -
Reinert R. A.,
Shriner D. S.,
Rawlings J. O.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1982.00472425001100010014x
Subject(s) - raphanus , pollutant , nitrogen dioxide , sulfur dioxide , dry weight , ozone , chemistry , carbon dioxide , nitrogen , environmental chemistry , air pollutants , agronomy , horticulture , zoology , air pollution , biology , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract Vegetation stress by air pollutants is frequently a result of a multiple pollutant exposure. Long‐range transport of major air pollutants may affect rural agricultural and forested regions of the eastern United States. Also, changes in the relative importance of the major phytotoxic pollutants, NO 2 , SO 2 , and O 3 , can be anticipated as a result of changing energy patterns. In experiments designed to evaluate the effects of the coincident occurrence of NO 2 , SO 2 , and O 3 , as well as the importance of the ratios of the pollutants to one another, we have demonstrated that the pollutants interacted to influence the response of radish ( Raphanus sativus L.) foliage and root. The influence of increasing O 3 concentrations at increasing concentrations of NO 2 and SO 2 generally resulted in smaller root (hypocotyl) fresh and dry weight, and in most cases the relationship was linear. Fresh‐weight reductions in radish roots due to increasing O 3 concentrations from 0.1 to 0.2 ppm and from 0.1 to 0.4 ppm at 0.1 ppm NO 2 and SO 2 were 24 and 51%, respectively. At 0.4 ppm NO 2 and SO 2 , the root‐weight losses due to increasing O 3 concentration from 0.1 to 0.2 and from 0.1 to 0.4 ppm were 20 and 38%, respectively. When SO 2 reached 0.8 and 1.6 ppm, there was little change in root weight as NO 2 and O 3 concentrations were increased from 0.2 to 0.4 ppm. Nitrogen dioxide played a significant role in the response of radish to SO 2 and O 3 , considering the high concentration of NO 2 (> 2.0 ppm) needed to cause a response in radish from a single exposure to NO 2 alone. These results suggested that valid assessment of the impact of siting additional sources of SO 2 and NO 2 in regions currently experiencing elevated O 3 levels will require recognition of this interaction potential.