Soil contamination by organic compounds, especially by the petroleum-derived, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is a growing problem with serious environmental consequences. To evaluate the environmental impact of these products it is important to understand their effects on plants and the associated microbiota. The effects of PAHs on growth and mycorrhizal colonization of Brachiaria brizantha and Pueraria phaseoloides were evaluated here. Two PAHs, anthracene and creosote, were applied to a soil infested with the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum at varied concentrations: anthracene (0; 0.25; 0.5; 0.75 and 1 g kg-1 soil) and creosote (0; 0.5; 1; 2 and 3 g kg-1 soil). This soil was packed into plastic tubes (290 cm³) where test plants were sown and grown for six weeks. It was found that anthracene did not affect pueraria growth and had a slight stimulus on brachiaria growth at the lowest concentration, whereas creosote had no effect on pueraria either, but inhibited brachiaria growth. Both contaminants inhibited mycorrhizal colonization in pueraria by about 90 %, compared to the control. At concentrations below those found in contaminated soils, AM colonization was inhibited by 50 %. The potential impact of these products on plant-AM fungus relationships is quite evident here. No colonization was found in brachiaria, regardless of the presence of PAHs. The results showed a differentiated sensitivity of the plants to the contaminants and their marked negative effect on G. etunicatum root colonization. In the evaluated concentration range, pueraria was insensitive to both compounds, which indicates the species for further studies on phytoremediation of areas under the impact of these contaminants.
PAHs; soil fungi; arbuscular mycorrhiza; phytoremediation
