(1) Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada, K7K 7B4;(2) School of Environmental Studies, Biosciences Complex, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada, K7L 3N6;
Abstract:
Introduction
A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine if Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo (pumpkin) root exudates could increase the uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into plants. Contaminated soil was pre-treated with pumpkin root exudates by first growing pumpkins in the soil. Plants (pumpkins and weeds) were grown in the pre-treated (root exudate group) and non-treated (control group) contaminated soils. Seeds from five weed species collected from two contaminated sites were germinated in sufficient quantities (n ≥ 6) for three seedlings to be planted in two groups.