Influence of mercury on chlorophyll content in winter wheat and mercury bioaccumulation

The aims of the present studies were to investigate the effect of Hg on chlorophyll content in winter wheat var. Jinan No. 17. Moreover, Ca levels and bioaccumulation of Hg in wheat leaves were studied with the technique of inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometer (ICP-SF-MS). The study conducted a range of Hg concentrations from 0-500 mg Hg/kg in the dry weight soil. The soil was artificially contaminated with Hg as follows: 0, 100, 200, and 500 mg Hg/kg as HgCl2. At early stages of the wheat growth, both low and high concentration of Hg stimulated chlorophyll levels, but inhibited chlorophyll concentration at later stages of the wheat growth. Furthermore, the concentrations of Ca and Hg in wheat leaves increased with the increasing concentration of Hg on the thirty-fourth day. The results indicate that Hg can accelerate the absorption of Ca in winter wheat and Hg stress may affect Ca levels in wheat leaves.