Effect of nitroaromatic compounds on the growth of potted plants

Effect of nitroaromatic compounds to higher plants was studied using wheat, barley, tomato, radish, cress salad as test-organisms. Additionally, Koeleria glauca, which is naturally disseminated at the polygon in contaminated soils, was sampled and used in vegetation experiments. Soil and the mixture of nitroaromatics (brown powder remaining from the partial detonation of munition) were sampled at the military polygon. A regular addition of an equivalent dosage of nitroaromatics (i.e. total amount 8.54 mg nitroaromatics/kg soil) for potted plants during two-month vegetation experiment was provided. Two-month treatment of wheat, barley and radish with BP resulted in an enhanced growth, i.e. their shoot height was 62 %; 67 %; and 36 % higher, correspondingly, as compared to control samples. In turn, tomato and cress salad seedlings were inhibited by BP up to 62 % and 80 %, correspondingly. Among tested plants, cress salad demonstrated the highest sensitivity to nitroaromatics in both, 4-day root elongation test and 58-day vegetation experiment.