Short-term ion uptake into roots of Limnobium stoloniferum was followed extracellularly with ion selective macroelectrodes. Cytosolic or vacuolar pH, together with the electrical membrane potential, was recorded with microelectrodes both located in the same young root hair. At the onset of chloride, phosphate, and nitrate uptake the membrane potential transiently decreased by 50 to 100 millivolts. During Cl(-) and H(2)PO(4) (-) uptake cytosolic pH decreased by 0.2 to 0.3 pH units. Nitrate induced cytosolic alkalinization by 0.19 pH units, indicating rapid reduction. The extracellular medium alkalinized when anion uptake exceeded K(+) uptake. During fusicoccin-dependent plasmalemma hyperpolarization, extracellular and cytosolic pH remained rather constant. Upon K(+) absorption, FC intensified extracellular acidification and intracellular alkalinization (from 0.31 to 0.4 pH units). In the presence of Cl(-) FC induced intracellular acidification. Since H(+) fluxes per se do not change the pH, recorded pH changes only result from fluxes of the stronger ions. The extra- and intracellular pH changes, together with membrane depolarization, exclude mechanisms as K(+)/A(-) symport or HCO(3) (-)/A(-) antiport for anion uptake. Though not suitable to reveal the actual H(+)/A(-) stoichiometry, the results are consistent with an H(+)/A(-) cotransport mechanism.