(558aj) Effects of Cadmium and Mercury on the Germination of Lolium Perenne

The plants germination represents one of the main factors for the development of technologies of phytoremediation of heavy metals. In this research the effects of cadmium and mercury on germination time and emergence as markers of toxicity of the Lolium perenneplant were determined. The seeds were exposed to increasing concentrations in the range of 0 to 25 mg/L of cadmium (Cd²⁺) and mercury (Hg²⁺) in Petri dishes, by independent experiments carried out in triplicate for 14 days. The germination rate of seeds exposed to 25 mg/L Hg²⁺at day 14 did not show significant differences with respect to the control group (P-value = 0.6030). A similar behavior was observed at 25 mg/L Cd²⁺(P-value = 0.4140). Concentrations higher than 5 mg/L Hg²⁺decreased root length by 38.7% (P-value = 0.0005), same effect was observed at 25 mg/L Cd²⁺(P-value = 0.0000). The heavy metals Cd and Hg in their inorganic form present toxic effects on the development of stem and roots of Lolium perenne, however, suitable conditions of germination and development were observed within a wide range of concentrations of heavy metals in which the plant can potentially act as a phytoremediator.