Environmental contamination of chrysotile asbestos and its toxic effects on growth and physiological and biochemical parameters of Lemna gibba

Our plain-English summary of Environmental contamination of chrysotile asbestos and its toxic effects on growth and physiological and biochemical parameters of Lemna gibba, by A.K. Trivedi, I. Ahmad, M.S. Musthapa, et al (Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2004).

The study

• Authors: A.K. Trivedi, I. Ahmad, M.S. Musthapa, F.A. Ansari, Q. Rahman
• Journal: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
• Published: 2004;47(3):281-9
• Cited by: 12 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Asbestos was monitored in water, sediment, and aquatic plant samples around an asbestos cement factory. Based on asbestos concentration found in aquatic plants during monitoring, and the propensity of asbestos to cause oxidative stress in animal models, laboratory experiments were conducted to assess toxicity of chrysotile asbestos on an aquatic macrophyte, duckweed (Lemna gibba). L. gibba plants were exposed to two concentrations of chrysotile asbestos (0.5 microg and 5.0 microg chrysotile in 5.0 microl double distilled water) twice per week during a period of 28 days and cultured in medium containing 0.1 g chrysotile/L. Control plants were cultured in medium without chrysotile asbestos. Effect of chrysotile exposure on certain growth and physiological and biochemical parameters was evaluated. An inhibition effect of chrysotile exposure was found on the number of fronds, root length, and biomass. Similar alterations in contents of chlorophyll, carotenoid, total free sugar, starch, and protein were also found. Contrary to effect on these parameters, a dose- and time-dependent increase in efflux of electrolytes, lipid peroxidation, cellular hydrogen peroxide, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activity was found. The results indicate oxidative stress and phytotoxicity of chrysotile asbestos on duckweed.

Copyright 2004 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

In plain English

This study had two parts. First, the authors measured asbestos fibers in pond water, pond sediment and aquatic plants near an asbestos cement factory at Mohanlalganj, about 25 km from Lucknow, India. Fibers were found in all sediment samples. Counts were 282 to 304 fibers per litre in pond water and 360 to 420 fibers per gram dry weight in sediment, and plant roots held more fibers than other plant parts. Second, in a laboratory experiment, duckweed (Lemna gibba) was given 0.5 or 5.0 micrograms of chrysotile per frond twice a week for 28 days. The plants were grown in medium containing 0.1 g chrysotile per litre and compared with unexposed control plants. By day 28, exposed plants had 39.82% and 49.34% fewer fronds (low and high dose). They also had shorter roots, less biomass, and less chlorophyll, carotenoid, sugar, starch and protein. Leakage of electrolytes, lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, and the activity of the enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase all rose. The authors concluded that chrysotile causes oxidative stress-mediated toxicity in plants. The study was on plants, not people.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Environmental monitoring of asbestos fibers near a factory, followed by a laboratory toxicity experiment on duckweed with unexposed control plants
• Who was studied: Pond water, pond sediment and aquatic plant samples (Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea nouchali, Ranunculus scleratus, Lemna gibba) collected near an asbestos cement factory at Mohanlalganj, about 25 km from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Laboratory work used duckweed (Lemna gibba) collected from the wild: 5 replications, each of 5 petri dishes holding 20 plants, with data as the mean of 3 independent experiments. Sampling dates are not given.
• Exposure: Chrysotile asbestos. Suspensions of 0.1 g or 1.0 g per litre were applied at 5 microlitres per frond twice per week, giving 0.5 or 5.0 micrograms chrysotile per frond, for 28 days. Plants were also cultured in medium containing 0.1 g chrysotile per litre. Field samples were analysed for asbestos fibers by phase-contrast polarized microscopy.
• Main results:
  • Field monitoring found asbestos in all sediment samples, with more fibers in the west and south corners of the pond. Table 1 gives 282 to 304 fibers per litre in pond water and 360 to 420 fibers per gram dry weight in sediment.
  • In field plant samples, fiber counts per gram dry weight were higher in roots than in other plant parts: 41, 47 and 44 fibers per gram in the roots of the three rooted species, and 21 per gram in whole Lemna gibba.
  • Number of fronds in exposed duckweed fell by 39.82% (0.5 micrograms per frond) and 49.34% (5.0 micrograms per frond) on day 28, described as significant values.
  • Root length on day 28 was reduced by 36.41% (low dose) and 46.58% (high dose). The effect on root length was significant only on days 21 and 28.
  • Biomass on day 28 was reduced by 32.68% (low dose) and 44.08% (high dose).
  • Chlorophyll on day 28 was reduced by 19.08% (low dose) and 31.31% (high dose).
  • Electrolyte efflux from roots on day 28 was increased by 203.97% (low dose) and 262.11% (high dose).
  • Protein content on day 28 was reduced by 38.94% (low dose) and 50.50% (high dose).
  • Total free sugar on day 28 was reduced by 26.57% (low dose) and 44.92% (high dose).
  • Lipid peroxidation on day 28 was increased by 31.12% (low dose) and 33.46% (high dose).
  • Cellular hydrogen peroxide on day 28 was increased by 68.87% (low dose) and 96.55% (high dose).
  • Catalase activity on day 28 was increased by 22.66% (low dose) and 48.89% (high dose).
  • Superoxide dismutase activity on day 28 was increased by 39.45% (low dose) and 71.65% (high dose).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that chrysotile causes growth inhibition and changes in pigments, protein, sugar, starch and stress markers in exposed plants, and that chrysotile asbestos causes oxidative stress-mediated toxicity in plants.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Chrysotile.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Chrysotile, Asbestos-Cement, Oxidative Stress, Superoxide.

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