Abstract |
Two species of plants (sunflowers and barley) were grown in water culture at ABS concentrations of 0, 10, and 40 mg/1, and three species (sunflower, barley, and Lupinus albus) in soil at ABS concentrations up to 50 mg/1 to determine the effect of ABS on plant growth and the uptake of ABS by plants. The major findings of these experiments were that although ABS caused severe growth inhibition in water culture studies (about 70 percent at 10-mg/1 ABS and almost 100 per cent at 40-mg/1), only one species (sunflower) of the three species grown in soil was adversely affected. Furthermore, plants irrigated with sewage containing from 4.6- to 12.7-mg/1 ABS far surpassed in growth those irrigated with water, regardless of soil fertilization practices or the addition of up to 15-mg/1 ABS to sewage. It may be concluded, therefore, that irrigation with sewage is beneficial to plants in spite of the presence of ABS in any amount likely to occur in sewage at the present time. (Author) |