Abstract
The effect of composted municipal solid waste (MSW) and sewage sludge (SS) on photosynthetic activity of wheat (Triticum durum L.) was investigated. Chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange parameters were assessed following application of up to 300 t ha−1 of MSW compost or SS. 100 t ha−1 MSW compost was optimal for the plant growth, which showed 78% stimulation as compared to the control. This was associated with higher maximum quantum efficiency (F v /F m) of photosystem II (PSII) and the actual quantum efficiency of PSII open centers at light adapted state (ΔF/\(F_{\rm m}^{\prime}\)). Maximal values of net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance were recorded at 100 t ha−1 MSW compost (+40 and +116%, respectively). Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) activity was also significantly stimulated at 100 t ha−1, while less significant impact was found in SS treatment. A marked accumulation of Ni, Pb, Cu, and Zn in concomitance with membrane lipid peroxidation were observed at 200–300 t ha−1 MSW compost and SS, resulting in lower photosynthetic activity and altered PSII functional integrity. Altogether, these results suggest that the MSW compost at 100 t ha−1 would be suitable for wheat cultivation, within the critical limits of heavy metal accumulation. However, long-term field experiments seem necessary to more accurately evaluate the safety of MSW application.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adamtey N, Cofie O, Ofosu-Budu KG, Ofosu-Anim J, Laryea KB, Forster D (2011) Effect of N-enriched co-compost on transpiration efficiency and water-use efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.) under controlled irrigation. Agric Water Manag 97:995–1005
Alloway BJ (1990) Heavy metals in soils. Blackie, Glasgow, p 339
Arena C, Vitale L, Virzo de Santos A (2005) Photosynthetic response of Quercus ilex L. plants grown on compost and exposed to increasing photon flux densities and elevated CO2. Photosynthetica 43:615–619
Arnon DI (1949) Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts: polyphenoloxydase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol 24:1–15
Baize D (2009) Cadmium in soils and cereal grains after sewage-sludge application on French soils. Agron Sustain Dev 29:175–184
Balakhnina TI, Kosobryukhov AA, Ivanov AA, Kreslavskii VD (2005) The effect of cadmium on CO2 exchange, variable fluorescence of chlorophyll, and the level of antioxidant enzymes in Pea leaves. Russ J Plant Physiol 52:15–20
Balakrishnan V, Bagyalakshmi B, Arul M, Karuppuchamy K, Ravindran KC (2010) Enhancement of growth characteristics by application of mangrove compost on Vigna mungo. Environ Agric Food Chem 9:315–326
Bilger W, Björkman O (1991) Temperature dependence of violaxanthin deepoxidation and non-photochemical fluorescence quenching in intact leaves of Gossypium hirsutum L. and Malvaparvi flora L. Planta 184:226–234
Bose S, Bhattacharyya AK (2008) Heavy metal accumulation in wheat plant grown in soil amended with industrial sludge. Chemosphere 70:1264–1272
Buege JA, Aust SD (1978) Microsomal lipid peroxidation. In: Fleischer P, Packer L (eds) Methods in enzymology, vol 52. Academic press, New York, pp 302–310
Burzyhski M, Zurek A (2007) Effects of copper and cadmium on photosynthesis in cucumber cotyledons. Photosynthetica 45:239–244
Cala V, Cases MA, Walter I (2005) Biomass production and heavy metal content of Rosmarinus officinalis grown on organic waste-amended soil. J Arid Environ 62:401–412
Cambrollé J, Mateos-Naranjo E, Redondo-Gómez S, Luque T, Figueroa ME (2011) Growth, reproductive and photosynthetic responses to copper in the yellow-horned poppy, Glaucium flavum Crantz. Environ Exp Bot 71:57–64
Chen S, Bai Y, Zhang L, Han X (2005) Comparing physiological responses of two dominant grass species to nitrogen addition in Xilin River Basin of China. Environ Exp Bot 53:65–75
Demirevska-Kepova K, Simova-Stoilova L, Stoyanova Z, Hölzer R, Feller U (2004) Biochemical changes in barley plants after excessive supply of copper and manganese. Environ Exp Bot 52:253–266
Dos Santos JUM, De Carvalho GJF, Feldpausch TR (2006) Growth, leaf nutrient concentration and photosynthetic nutrient use efficiency in tropical tree species planted in degraded areas in central Amazonia. For Ecol Manag 226:299–309
Feller U, Anders I, Demirevska K (2008) Degradation of RubisCO and other chloroplast proteins under abiotic stress. Gen Appl Plant Physiol 34:5–18
Genty B, Briantais JM, Baker NR (1989) The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Biochem Biophys Acta 990:87–92
Ghnya T, Slama I, Messedi D, Grignon C, Ghorbel MH, Abdelly C (2007) Effects of Cd2+ on K+, Ca2+ and N uptake in two halophytes Sesivium portulacastrum and Mesembryantemum crystallinum consequences on growth. Chemosphere 67:72–79
Joel G, Gamon JA, Field CB (1997) Production efficiency in sunflower: the role of water and nitrogen stress. Remote Sens Environ 62:176–188
Kim IS, Kang KH, Johnson-Green P, Lee EJ (2003) Investigation of heavy metal accumulation in Polygonum thunbergii for phytoextraction. Environ Pollut 126:235–243
Kong X, Kun X (2008) Effects of different fertilizers on the photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and yield of ginger. Acta Metall Sin 14:367–372
Kumagai E, Araki T, Kubota F (2009) Correlation of chlorophyll meter readings with gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence in flag leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants. Plant Prod Sci 12:50–53
Lakhdar A, Hafsi C, Rabhi M, Debez A, Montemurro F, Abdelly C, Jedidi N, Ouerghi Z (2008) Application of municipal solid waste compost reduces the negative effects of saline water in Hordeum maritimum L. Biores Technol 99:7160–7167
Lakhdar A, Ben Achiba W, Montemurro F, Jedidi N, Abdelly C (2009a) Effect of municipal solid waste compost and farmyard manure application on heavy metal uptake in wheat (Triticum durum). Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 40:3524–3538
Lakhdar A, Rabhi M, Ghnaya T, Montemuerro F, Jedidi N, Abdelly C (2009b) Effectiveness of compost use in salt-affected soil. J Hazard Mater 171:29–37
Lakhdar A, Scelza R, Achiba WB, Scotti R, Rao MA, Jedidi N, Abdelly C, Gianfreda L (2011) Effect of municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge on enzymatic activities and wheat yield in a clayey-loamy soil. Soil Sci. doi:10.1097/SS.0b013e3182028d8a
Li S, Zhang K, Zhou S, Zhang L, Chen Q (2009) Use of dewatered municipal sludge on Canna growth in pot experiments with a barren clay soil. Waste Manag 29:1870–1876
Liu N, Lin ZF, Lin GZ, Song LY, Chen SW, Mo H, Peng CL (2010) Lead and cadmium induced alterations of cellular functions in leaves of Alocasia macrorrhiza L. Schott. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 73:1238–1245
Liu Y, Ma L, Li Y, Zheng L (2007) Evolution of heavy metal speciation during the aerobic composting of sewage sludge. Chemosphere 67:1025–1032
Liu YY, Ukita M, Imai T, Higuchi T (2006) Recycling mineral nutrients to farmland via compost application. Water Sci Technol 53:111–118
McCauley A, Jones C, Jacobsen J (2009) Soil pH and organic matter. Nutrient Management Module No. 8, p 12
Mechri B, Cheheb H, Boussadia O, Attia F, Ben Mariem F, Braham M, Hammami M (2011) Effects of agronomic application of olive mill wastewater in a field of olive trees on carbohydrate profiles, chlorophyll a fluorescence and mineral nutrient content. Environ Exp Bot 71:84–191
Mkhabela M, Warman PR (2005) The influence of municipal solid waste compost on yield, soil phosphorus availability and uptake by two vegetable crops, grown in a Pugwash sandy loam soil in Nova Scotia. Agric Ecosyst Environ 106:57–67
Munns R (2002) Comparative physiology of salt and water stress. Plant Cell Environ 25:239–250
Muscolo A, Bovalo F, Gionfriddo F, Nardi S (1999) Earthworm humic matter produces auxin-like effects on Daucus carota cell growth and nitrate metabolism. Soil Biol Biochem 31:1303–1311
Nardi S, Pizzeghello D, Muscolo A, Vianello A (2002) Physiological effects of humic substances on higher plants. Soil Biol Biochem 34:1527–1536
Ouerghi Z, Cornic G, Roudani A, Ayadi A, Brulfert J (2000) Effect of NaCl on photosynthesis of two wheat species (Triticum durum and T. aestivum) differing in their sensitivity to salt stress. J Plant Physiol 156:335–340
Ouzounidou G, Ilias I (2005) Hormone-induced protection of sunflower photosynthetic apparatus against Cu toxicity. Biol Plant 49:223–228
Oxborough K, Baker NR (1997) Resolving chlorophyll a fluorescence images of photosynthetic efficiency into photochemical and non-photochemical components- calculation of qP and \(F_{\rm v}^{\prime}\)/\(F_{\rm m}^{\prime}\) without measuring \(F_{\rm o}^{\prime}\). Photosynth Res 54:135–142
Rooney CP, Zhao FJ, McGrath SP (2007) Phytotoxicity of nickel in a range of European soils: influence of soil properties, Ni solubility and speciation. Environ Pollut 145:596–605
Schreiber U, Schliwa U, Bilger W (1986) Continuous recording of photochemical and non-photochemical quenching with a new type of modulation fluorometer. Photosynth Res 10:51–62
Smith SR (2009) A critical review of the bioavailability and impacts of heavy metals in municipal solid waste composts compared to sewage sludge. Environ Int 35:142–156
Thomas CN, Bauerle WL, Chastain JP, Owino TO, Moore KP, Klaine SJ (2006) Effects of scrubber by-product-stabilized dairy lagoon sludge on growth and physiological responses of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Chemosphere 64:152–160
Velikova V, Tsonev T, Loreto F, Centritto M (2011) Changes in photosynthesis, mesophyll conductance to CO2, and isoprenoid emissions in Populus nigra plants exposed to excess nickel. Environ Pollut 159:1058–1066
Vernay P, Gauthier-Moussard C, Jean L, Bordas F, Faure O, Ledoigt G, Hitmi A (2008) Effect of chromium species on phytochemical and physiological parameters in Datura innoxia. Chemosphere 72:763–771
von Caemmerer S, Farquhar GD (1981) Some relationships between the biochemistry of photosynthesis and the gas exchange of leaves. Planta 153:376–387
Wang L, Zhou Q, Huang X (2009) Photosynthetic responses to heavy metal terbium stress in horseradish leaves. Chemosphere 77:1015–1025
Zhang M, Heaney D, Solberg E, Heriquez B (2000) The effect of MSW compost on metal uptake and yield of wheat, barley and canola in less productive farming soils of Alberta. Compost Sci Util 8:224–236
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology (LR02CB02).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by S. Renault.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lakhdar, A., Slatni, T., Iannelli, M.A. et al. Risk of municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge use on photosynthetic performance in common crop (Triticum durum). Acta Physiol Plant 34, 1017–1026 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-011-0898-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-011-0898-2