The impoundment located near the village of Poša in eastern Slovakia is a significant source of arsenic. Waters penetrating the impoundment become enriched in As and other potentially toxic elements. As a consequence, the Kyjov brook and the Ondava River have been extensively polluted by arsenic. Although, zinc is of minor environmental significance regarding pollution in the area, it was also monitored to compare its behaviour with that of arsenic. The mobility and solid-state distribution of As and Zn in the impoundment materials and stream sediments have been investigated using a five-step sequential extraction procedure. Moreover, to investigate the bioavailability of As and Zn, two native plant species (Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis) growing at the site were collected and analyzed. The As concentrations in representative sediment and water samples ranged from 36.28 to 3208.35 mg kg-1 and from 4.05 to 612.8 μg l-1, respectively, both being many times above the background levels. The Zn concentrations of environmental importance were found to be high only in the impoundment materials (up to 3390 mg kg-1). Although a part of As was present in a readily soluble form (6.62%), the majority of As was mainly associated with Fe/Mn oxides (37.30%) and residual phases (51%). Similarly, the most dominant fractions for zinc distribution were Fe/Mn oxides (38.5%), residual (34%) and exchangeable (18%). Combined results of the sequential extraction tests as well as chemical and mineralogical analysis indicated that As mobilisation potential from the sediments is likely controlled by Fe/Mn oxyhydroxide mineral phases. Plants growing in the impoundment had As concentrations 10 to 100 times higher than the same plants growing in a relatively nonpolluted area, indicating an enhanced bioavailability of arsenic in the area with high total As contents in the impoundment materials. and Odkalisko, ktoré sa nachádza pri obci Poša (východné Slovensko), je významným zdrojom arzénu. Vody presakujúce cez materiál uložený v odkalisku sa tak obohacujú o As a ďalšie potenciálne toxické prvky. Dôsledkom je výrazné znečistenie toku Kyjov a rieky Ondava arzénom. Aj keď v tejto oblasti zinok nepredstavuje až tak veľký environmentálny problém, je zahrnutý v tejto štúdii s cieľom porovnať správanie sa týchto dvoch potenciálne toxických prvkov. Na štúdium pohyblivosti a distribúcie As a Zn v materiáloch odkaliska a v riečnych sedimentoch sa použila päťkroková sekvenčná extrakcia. Okrem toho sme skúmali bioprístupnosť As a Zn v dvoch typoch rastlín (Typha latifolia a Phragmites australis), ktoré prednostne rastú na odkalisku. Koncentrácie As v odobratých vzorkách sedimentov boli v intervale od 36,28 do 3208,35 mg kg-1 a v povrchových vodách od 4,05 do 612,8 μg l-1. Tieto koncentrácie sú oveľa vyššie ako pozaďové hodnoty pre danú oblasť. Bolo zistené, že koncentrácie Zn významné z hľadiska znečistenia sú vysoké len v odkaliskových materiáloch (až 3390 mg kg-1). Aj keď určitý podiel As v sedimentoch bol prítomný v ľahko rozpustnej forme (6,62 %), väčšina As bola viazaná na oxidy Fe a Mn (37,30 %) a reziduálne fázy (51 %). Podobné to bolo pri Zn, pričom najdôležitejšie pre jeho distribúciu boli oxidy Fe a Mn (38,5 %), reziduálne fázy (34 %) a vymeniteľné pozície (18 %). Kombinované výsledky sekvenčných extrakcií ako aj chemickej a mineralogickej analýzy ukázali, že mobilizácia As zo sedimentov úzko súvisí s prítomnými minerálmi zo skupiny oxyhydroxidov Fe a Mn. Rastliny vyskytujúce sa na odkalisku obsahovali 10- až 100-násobne vyššie koncentrácie As ako tie isté rastliny odobraté z relatívne neznečistenej oblasti. Táto skutočnosť poukazuje na zvýšenú bioprístupnosť arzénu na skúmanom odkalisku, ktoré je typické vysokými obsahmi celkového As v uložených materiáloch.
Alkaline stress is important abiotic stress that restricts the growth and physiological activity of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). We aimed to investigate the effects of alkaline stress on alkali-tolerant SX44B and alkali-sensitive 262B sorghum inbred lines. The results showed that alkaline stress decreased the content of chlorophyll, activity of photosystem II, net photosynthetic rate, and destroyed chloroplast morphology. These changes were less pronounced in SX44B, possibly owing to its higher antioxidant enzyme activity and nonphotochemical quenching. Alkaline stress decreased water content, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance while increasing the leaf temperature, with the effect being more pronounced in 262B. A significant correlation was observed between leaf-air temperature difference (ΔT) and relative water content and gas-exchange parameters, especially in 262B. Therefore, ΔT is an effective indicator for monitoring changes in sorghum leaves under alkaline stress and evaluating the alkali tolerance of different sorghum germplasm.