The influence of lead ions, cationic synthetic surfactants and their combinations on the pigment composition of tissues of plant organisms in water bodies Ceratophyllum demersum and Egeria densa

Abstract

The mass of man-made chemical elements entering water bodies along with wastewater is gradually increasing, causing a lot of negative consequences. Plant organisms of water bodies are among the first to experience the effects of any anthropogenic pollutants and especially heavy metals and surfactants, the amount of which increases in the water of rivers and lakes. Changes in the ratio of the pool of green and yellow enzymes in aquatic plants are considered as a reliable diagnostic indicator of the development of disorders in plant cells due to technogenic influences. Changes in the content of photosynthetic pigments in plants of two species (Ceratophyllum demersum and Egeria densa) were monitored when they were exposed to very common technogenic substances (lead ions and a solution of cationic synthetic surfactants). The changes found in the quantitative content of photosynthetic pigments in aquatic plants are caused by the appearance and development of stress and some adaptation to it. Under these conditions, the structures of proteins and lipids of thylakoid membranes change, the level of ATP decreases, free radical processes are activated and the intensity of photosynthesis is inhibited. Thus, the action of lead ions, a solution of cationic synthetic surfactants, and especially their combination have a very negative effect on the tissues of Ceratophyllum demersum and Egeria densa, which is expressed in a change in the content of photosynthetic pigments and their ratio.