Studies of the toxic effect of heavy metals contained in contaminated soil on the germination and growth of higher plants

It is well known that the most of the heavy metals can give rise to rather well-defined toxic effects in human. They damages: the lungs in the form of pneumoconiosis; the central nervous system; the cardiovascular system; the immune system and others. Contaminated soils are the main source of heavy metals in food chains and ultimately for humans. For this reason, it is necessary to look for opportunities for the treatment of such contaminated soils, in order to enable their safe practical application. In this connection, data from the effect of contaminated with heavy metals soil on the growth and development of higher plants, through the application of pot-tests, when mixed with reference soil and compost, are presented here. Two species of higher plants were used in the study - oats (Avena sativa) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The obtained results show that the degree of growth and development of the experimental plants of the two plant species, are directly connected with the amount of added contaminated soil. To a greater extent, a toxic effect was found at alfalfa (Medicago sativa), where the test soil leads to complete suppression of germination.