Title

To determine the degree of affectation of lettuce seeds exposed to high concentrations of CU by

means of a bioassay.

Author: Eliana Fernanda García Restrepo.

Code: 1.041.148.013
Environmental engineering
Institution: National Open and Distance University UNAD
Affiliation: CEAD Medellín western zone

Key words: Copper, contamination, toxicology, bioassay, atmosphere

According to the article "Increased soil pH and dissolved organic matter after a decade of organic
fertilizer application mitigates copper and zinc availability despite contamination" It is known that
the long-term application of organic fertilizers (OF) in agricultural soils induces Cu and Zn
contamination of the soil, together with changes in pH and organic matter, which in turn alter the
availability of Cu and Zn in the soil (Cezary Kabala ⁎, 2020). To identify the affectation of UC in
lettuce seeds, a bioassay was carried out in which lettuce seeds were exposed to different
concentrations of CU in which 6 dilutions of copper sulfate were carried out starting from 3 stock
solutions of 1000 ppm, 100 ppm and 10 ppm, these were placed in 6 flasks of 25 ml and concentrations
of: 0.5, 1,3,6,9 and 15 ppm of Cu, sealed and introduced into the incubation chamber for 120 hours
at 22 degrees Celsius. After the incubation time, the root measurement is carried out to determine the
toxic concentration, determining that the seeds with longer roots contemplate a high concentration of
Cu (Cezary Kabala ⁎, Assessment and monitoring of soil and plant contamination with trace elements
around Europe's largest copper ore tailings impoundment, 2020) and according to the article
“Widespread copper and lead contamination of household drinking water, New South Wales,
Australia” Inhibition in germination could be considered as a lethal effect as long as it cannot be
corroborated that After exposure to a sample, the seeds did not germinate due to the death of the
embryo and that there is simply no delay in the germination process, maintaining the viability of the
seed. (P.J. Harvey a, 2016)
Review:

Laurent, C. (2019). Increased soil pH and dissolved organic matter after a decade of organic
fertilizer application mitigates copper and zinc availability despite contamination. Science,
2.
Cezary Kabala ⁎, B. G. (2020). Assessment and monitoring of soil and plant contamination with
trace elements around Europe's largest copper ore tailings impoundment. Science, 14.
P.J. Harvey a, n. H. (2016). Widespread copper and lead contamination of household drinking
water, New South Wales, Australia. ScieneceDirect, 120, 121.
Cezary Kabala ⁎, B. G. (2020). Assessment and monitoring of soil and plant contamination with
trace elements around Europe's largest copper ore tailings impoundment. ScienceDirect,
12,13,14.