The effects of Bisphenol A on the germination of lettuce and radish, and on soil microbial activity

Abstract

There have been several hydroponic studies on the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on different crop types, but only one using soil as a growing medium. This study used sand as a carrier for BPA to be added to the soil at different concentration levels. The aim was to study how this would affect the physical properties of both lettuces and radishes, however, due to the failure of the lettuce seeds to germinate, the data discussed only tackles radishes. It was found that radishes do not experience any significant impacts when treated with BPA, although throughout the experiment it was noted that the nettles growing in the pots did seem to be affected. A further study was carried out using soil plates to study the effects of different concentrations of BPA on Azotobacter chroococcum activity. Even here, no significant differences were observed.