Abstract
The potential risk for CO(2) leakage from carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems has raised significant concerns. While numerous studies have explored how crops respond to elevated soil CO(2) levels, relatively few have examined the impacts on vegetables. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are a key vegetable crop, and this study sought to investigate how CO(2) leakage affects their yield and quality. We conducted pot experiments comparing tomatoes grown under control conditions (no added CO(2)) with those exposed to elevated soil CO(2) levels (1500 g m(-2)d(-1)). Our findings indicate that under CO(2) leakage conditions, the overall biomass of tomato plants, average fruit weight, and fruit size decreased by 47.42%, 47.65%, and 20.2%, respectively. Notably, the titratable acid content in the tomatoes increased by 27.5%, resulting in a sourer taste. The tomato fruit grades and sugar acid ratio declined leading to a seriously commercial value loss of tomatoes in response to elevated soil CO(2) levels. This study provides a more quantitative understanding of how vegetables like tomatoes respond to CO(2) leakage, which is crucial for CCS decision-makers to comprehend the adverse effects of CO(2) leaks on agriculture.