EVALUATION OF PHYTOTOXICITY OF SOIL POLLUTED BY OIL PRODUCTS

Abstract

The problem of soil pollution is getting more and more urgent. The most part of soil is polluted to some extent. The paper estimates phytotoxicity of soil polluted by oil products. The authors define phytotoxic effect and enzyme soil and plant activity by means of seedling method. The authors used viscous fuel for slow speed engines for the experiment. The authors used cress, meadow fescue, oat and pea as testing crops. Germination of testing crops is reducing on 21-33 % at 0.1 % pollution; 1 % pollution results in 40 % reducing of germination of cress and 45 % of oats. Soil pollution caused by oil products has strong phytotoxic impact onto the system “soil-crop”. Enzyme effect in the leaves of cress is increasing whereas in the leaves of oats it is reducing when the concentration of oil products is increased. Cress responses greatly to the soil pollution caused by oil products. The authors observed the relation among soil phytotoxicity, concentration of oil products and periods of pollution. When concentration of oil products is increasing, soil phytotoxicity becomes stronger. Long periods of pollution influence crops in different way. Phytotoxic effect of oats is reducing when periods of pollution are longer. Soil polluted more than 3 months is more toxic for peas. As time goes, soil respiration intensity is reducing when concentration of oil products is 1 %. This shows the effect of oil products on biological activity of microorganisms.