Bioavailability and toxicity of bromine and neodymium for plants grown in soil and water

Information about biological significance and possible phytotoxicity of many trace elements is still scarce. Bromine and neodymium are among the poorly investigated trace elements. In the research, greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effects of bromide of neodymium on wheat seedlings grown in soil and water. The wheat seedlings were capable of accumulating large amounts of both Br and Nd. Compared to the soil-grown plants, the water-grown plants accumulated higher concentrations of the trace elements. The bioaccumulation of Br and Nd resulted in statistically significant variations in the concentrations of several elements. The concentrations of P, Cl, and Ca in roots and Cl in leaves of the plants grown in the contaminated water and the concentration of I in roots of the soil-grown plants decreased. In the water-grown seedlings, the concentrations of Na and P were higher and concentrations of Mg and K were lower than those in the seedlings grown in soil. In leaves of the plants grown in water, the concentration of Cl was lower than that in leaves of the soil-grown plants. In roots of the water-grown plants, the concentration of Zn was higher, and in leaves, it was lower compared with Zn content in roots and leaves of the plants grown in soil. The K/Na ratios were 4 (leaves) and 20 (roots) times higher in the soil-grown plants, while the Ca/Mg ratios were 8 – 19 times higher in the water-grown plants. Marked distinctions were also observed in relationships between different elements in the soil-grown and water-grown plants.