Narumol Vachirapatama, Yaowapha Jirakiattikul, Greg Dicinoski, Ashley T. Townsend, and Paul R. Haddad

pp. 255 - 261

Abstract

Hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate vanadium uptake by Chinese green mustard and tomato plants
and its effect on their growth. Twenty-eight (Chinese green mustard) and 79 days (tomato) after germination, the plants were
exposed for a further seven days to a solution containing six different concentrations of ammonium metavanadate (0-80 mg/l
NH₄VO₃
). The vanadium accumulated in the plant tissues were determined by ion-interaction high performance liquid chromatography, with confirmation by magnetic sector ICP-MS.
The results indicated that nutrient solution containing more than 40 mg/l NH4VO₃
 affected plant growth for both
Chinese green mustard and tomato plant. Chinese green mustard grown in the solution containing NH₄VO₃ at the concentrations of 40 and 80 mg/l had stem length, number of leaves, dry weight of leaf, stem and root significantly lower than those of
plants grown in the solution containing 0-20 mg/l NH₄VO₃
. Tomato plants were observed to wilt after four days in contact
with the nutrient solutions containing 40 and 80 mg/l NH₄VO₃
. As the vanadium concentrations increased, a resultant
decrease in the stem length, root fresh weight, and fruit fresh weight were noted. The accumulation of vanadium was higher in
the root compared with leaf, stem, or fruit. Measured levels of vanadium, from a nutrient solution containing 40 mg/l NH₄VO₃
,
were 328, 340, and 9.66x10³
μg/g in the leaf, stem and root for Chinese green mustard, and 4.04 and 4.01x10³
μg/g in the fruit
and roots for tomato plants, respectively