TOXICITY OF METALS SUCH AS IRON, NICKEL AND COBALT ON SEEDLINGS OF BROAD BEANS (VICIA FABA L.)

Increased industrialization in developing countries like India has resulted into the enormous deterioration of air, water and soil. Presence of heavy metals causes bioaccumulation affecting the entire ecosystem and pose harmful consequences. On treating beans with increasing concentration (10mM, 50mM, 100mM, 150mM) of heavy metals (Ni, Co,Fe) significant decrease (p≤0.05) in seed germination, root length, shoot length, root and shoot length and dry weight was observed but there was significant increase (p≤0.05) in phosphatase activity (acid and alkaline phosphatase), protein and phenolics content. The metal toxicities of various metal studied was Co>Ni>Fe. The present study concludes that the Broad Beans ( Vicia faba L.) is a metal resistant plant which have devised various mechanism such as denovo synthesis of anti-stress protein or mitigation of ROS by enhanced phenolic production to combat metal stress.