Effect and Responses of Lead Toxicity in Plants

Heavy metalHeavy metal toxicityToxicity is becomingLead toxicity a great concern to living organism due to exponential population growth and futile race of development. As one of the latent contaminants, lead (Pb)Lead (Pb) contributes about 10% of the trace metal(oids) pollution. It can easily absorb and accumulate in different plantsPlants parts but have not any beneficial role in cell metabolism. Increase in Pb content in environmentEnvironment is caused by natural as well as human activities such as industrial waste, mining, and irrigation by sewage waterWater, sewage sludge application, chemical fertilizer, and pesticides. Plants such as cropsCrops, vegetables, and fruits grown on highly Pb contaminated soilSoil show some toxic symptoms that may retard their growth (vegetative and reproductive), reduction in photosynthetic rate, seed germination rate blackening of roots, decline in quality, and yield of the plants. LeadLead also affects the activity of various enzymes that play a significant role in metabolic pathways, i.e., catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ATP synthase, RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase, APX, AsA, GPX, and ABA. When the contaminated produce consumed by living being, it causes many life-threatening diseases. In this chapter, the uptake and noxious effects of Pb on photosynthetic rate, germination rate, yield, nutrient uptake, accumulation, ultrastructural and oxidative damage, carbon metabolism, and alteration in enzymes activities were reported.