Comparative Dose-Reponse Effects of Soil-applied Bisphenol A on Growth and Development of Three Commercial Crop Species

Peacock Scholarship

Public Deposited

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a pollutant that is a widely produced synthetic compound used in plastics and resins and is known for its endocrine disrupting effects in animals and humans. The chemical structure of BPA increases its resistance to natural oxidation and natural degradation, allowing it to persist in the environment and accumulate in soil where it interacts with plants. Resarch on teh effects of BPA on plants is limited, and known reactions between BPA doses and plant species vary and result in different effects. This research investigates the effects of various BPA doses (5 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, 20 μg/mL, 30 μg/mL, ethanol control, regular control) on three commercially relevant plant species: pea (Pisum sativum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). The working hypothesis is as follows: As BPA concentrations increase, growth parameters of the plants will decrease. The combined statistical and graphical analyses do not support the hypothesis, as no consistent negative effect of increasing BPA concentrations on plant growth was observed.

Last modified