Responses of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) to growth in naphthalene-contaminated sand: xenobiotic stress versus water stress.

The adaptations of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) arising from growth in naphthalene-contaminated sand (0.8 g kg(-1) sand dry weight (dw)) were investigated in the contexts of xenobiotic stress and water stress. The transfer of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across the root endodermis was investigated using the hydrophobic Nile red stain as a PAH homologue.