Biomaterial Database

Effect of temperature on the uptake and metabolism of cyanide by weeping willows. 2007

Xiao-Zhang Yu, and Stefan Trapp, and Pu-Hua Zhou, and Liang Chen

Department of Environmental Science, Hunan Agricultural University, Hunan, PR China. yuxiaozhang@hotmail.com

Plants' uptake and metabolism of cyanide in response to changes in temperature was investigated. Pre-rooted weeping willows (Salix babylonica L.) were exposed to hydroponic solution spiked with potassium cyanide for 2-3 d. Ten different temperatures were used, ranging from 11 degrees C to 32 degrees C. Cyanide in water, plant tissue, and air was analyzed spectrophotometrically. The results revealed that significant amounts of the applied cyanide were removed from the aqueous solutions in the presence of plants. Small amounts of free cyanide were detected in plant materials in all treatments, but there was no clear trend that showed an increase or decrease in the accumulation in plant material with temperature. The highest cyanide metabolism rate for weeping willows was found at 32 degrees C with a value of 2.78 mg CN/(kg x d), whereas the lowest value was 1.20 mg CN/(kg x d) at ll degrees C. The temperature coefficient, Q10, which is the ratio of metabolism rates at a 10 degrees C difference, was determined for weeping willows to be 1.46. In conclusion, changes in temperature have a substantial influence on the uptake and metabolism of cyanide by plants, but cyanide accumulation does not increase with temperature.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D002681	China	A country spanning from central Asia to the Pacific Ocean.	Inner Mongolia,Manchuria,People's Republic of China,Sinkiang,Mainland China
D003486	Cyanides	Inorganic salts of HYDROGEN CYANIDE containing the -CN radical. The concept also includes isocyanides. It is distinguished from NITRILES, which denotes organic compounds containing the -CN radical.	Cyanide,Isocyanide,Isocyanides
D001673	Biodegradation, Environmental	Elimination of ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS; PESTICIDES and other waste using living organisms, usually involving intervention of environmental or sanitation engineers.	Bioremediation,Phytoremediation,Natural Attenuation, Pollution,Environmental Biodegradation,Pollution Natural Attenuation
D001692	Biological Transport	The movement of materials (including biochemical substances and drugs) through a biological system at the cellular level. The transport can be across cell membranes and epithelial layers. It also can occur within intracellular compartments and extracellular compartments.	Transport, Biological,Biologic Transport,Transport, Biologic
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D013816	Thermodynamics	A rigorously mathematical analysis of energy relationships (heat, work, temperature, and equilibrium). It describes systems whose states are determined by thermal parameters, such as temperature, in addition to mechanical and electromagnetic parameters. (From Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 12th ed)	Thermodynamic
D014197	Trees	Woody, usually tall, perennial higher plants (Angiosperms, Gymnosperms, and some Pterophyta) having usually a main stem and numerous branches.	Tree
D018526	Plant Transpiration	The loss of water vapor by plants to the atmosphere. It occurs mainly from the leaves through pores (stomata) whose primary function is gas exchange. The water is replaced by a continuous column of water moving upwards from the roots within the xylem vessels. (Concise Dictionary of Biology, 1990)	Plant Transpirations,Transpiration, Plant,Transpirations, Plant
D032108	Salix	A plant genus of the family Salicaceae. Members contain salicin, which yields SALICYLIC ACID.	Willow,Goat Willow,Salix alba,Salix caprea,Salix matsudana,Salix viminalis,White Willow,Goat Willows,White Willows,Willow, Goat,Willow, White,Willows,Willows, Goat,Willows, White