ANALYSIS OF INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE GROWTH AND METABOLISM OF PHASEOLUS-MUNGO, L

An analysis of dye and match industrial effluents revealed, that they are highly polluted. A study of the impact of these effluents on the g rowth and metabolism of Phaseolus mungo L., showed that percent germin ation and seedling length decreased with an increase in concentration of these effluents. There was a reduction in fresh weight and biomass accmulation (dry weight) that paralleled a decline in pigment content of the plant. This may be due to the degradation of chlorophyll caused by increased peroxidase activity. The soluble protein and in vivo nit rate reductase activity followed a declining trend, while the level of L-proline showed an increasing trend with an increase in concentratio n of these effluents. The increase in leaf nitrate content at higher c oncentrations of effluents may be due to the high nitrate content in t hese effluents. Comparing these two industrial effluents, the effluent from the dye industry was found to be more toxic to the plant than th at of the effluent from the match industry.