Published in Scientific Papers. Series E. Land Reclamation, Earth Observation & Surveying, Environmental Engineering, Vol. XI
Written by Paula COJOCARU, Gabriela BIALI
In this paper, we studied the effects of soil pollution with copper on the biomass production, the fractal surface of leaves and the elongation of the roots of white mustard (Sinapis alba) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants. The soil used in our experiments was polluted with CuSO4·5H2O solutions in concentrations ranging from 200 mg/kg to 1200 mg/kg. Wheat was the most affected by soil pollution with copper. At the maximum concentration of pollutant in the soil, i.e., 1200 mg/kg, it did not germinate. Compared to white mustard, wheat had a lower plant biomass, i.e., between 28% and 34%, depending on the concentration of soil pollutant. Regarding the length of the roots of the two plants, there is a 50.82% difference between them at the maximum pollutant concentration applied, i.e., (1200 mg/kg), compared to the control sample. The measured fractal surface of the white mustard leaves decreased, as well as the length of the roots, as the copper concentration in the soil increased.
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