PHYTOTOXICITY AND BIOACCUMULATION OF ARSENIC IN CROPS (Sinapis alba L., Triticum aestivum L., Hordeum vulgare L.)

Arsenic [As(III), As(V)] phytotoxicity - growth, pigments level reduction, and bioaccumulation in dicotyledonous (Sinapis alba) and monocotyledonous (Triticum aestivum, Hordeum vulgare) crops was determined in the study. As(III) reduced growth and photosynthetic pigments levels more than As(V) and S. alba was the most sensitive from all tested plants. According to the intensity of inhibitory effects tested plants could be arranged in the following rank order: S. alba > H. vulgare > T. aestivum. Observation of arsenic accumulation confirmed prevailing deposition in the roots and poor translocation to the shoots. Translocation was extremely low in monocotyledonous plants. The highest As accumulation and translocation in S. alba fully reflected its highest sensitivity.