The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on plant photosynthesis and determine whether the photosynthetic response to BPA exposure varies in different plants. Chlorophyll fluorescence techniques were used to investigate the effects of BPA on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), soybean (Glycine max), maize (Zea mays), and rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings. Low-dose (1.5 or 3.0 mg L(-1)) BPA exposure improved photosystem II efficiency, increased the absorption and conversion efficiency of primary light energy, and accelerated photosynthetic electron transport in each plant, all of which increased photosynthesis. These effects weakened or disappeared after the withdrawal of BPA. High-dose (10.0 mg L(-1)) BPA exposure damaged the photosystem II reaction center, inhibited the photochemical reaction, and caused excess energy to be released as heat. These effects were more evident after the highest BPA dose (17.2 mg L(-1)), but they weakened after the withdrawal of BPA. The magnitude of BPA exposure effects on the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in the five plants followed the order: lettuce > tomato > soybean > maize > rice. The opposite order was observed following the removal of BPA. In conclusion, the chlorophyll fluorescence response in plants exposed to BPA depended on BPA dose and plant species.
Keywords: Bisphenol A; Chlorophyll fluorescence; Effects; Five plants; Photosynthetic parameters.