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The aim of this study was to determine whether fatty acid composition of leaves, cotyledons or roots could be used as an indicator of the bioavailability and of the adverse effects of heavy metals on plants. Tomato seedlings were grown on soils obtained by mixing increasing amounts of a highly metal-contaminated soil with an uncontaminated sandy soil, and the fatty acid composition of plant tissues was analyzed. The fatty acid composition of roots and cotyledons of plants grown on contaminated soils was mostly the same as in the control plants. In contrast, significant changes in the fatty acid composition of primary leaves occurred. Our results clearly indicate a relationship between metal accumulation (Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu) and the fatty acid composition of primary leaves, with the contribution of 18 C atom fatty acids (as 18:3 fatty acid and precursors) being more closely correlated with the availability of heavy metals in soils.
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Verdoni et al. (2001) studied this question.
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