The Transport and Affinity of Substituted Benzenes in Soybean Stems

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Abstract
The sorption of non-ionized substituted benzenes in the xylem tissue of excised soybean stems was studied. A positive pressure perfusion technique was used to force solutions containing chemicals and tritiated water through 50-mm stem segments. The stem effluent was collected at timed intervals and analysed for each chemical and tritium activity. A theoretical mass transport model was developed and the experimental data were analysed to calculate the flux of water, chemical sorption, and first order rate constants. Sorption of hydrophobic chemicals in the xylem tissue appeared to be the dominant interaction responsible for impeding solute movement. Linear relationships between sorption and accumulation of the chemicals in the xylem tissue, and the chemical octanol/water partition coefficients were demonstrated. The mathematical derivation of the mass transport model is described.