STUDY REGARDING GERMINATION OF INDIAN MUSTARD (BRASSICA JUNCEA L.) FOR APPLICATION IN PHYTOREMEDIATION OF STERILE DUMPS POLLUTED WITH HEAVY METALS

Nutrient-poor, sandy, sterile material from the post-mining sterile dumps such as those in the Maramures region (Romania) presents a challenge for plants. Sterile dumps are considered extreme environments for plants due to their unfavorable physicochemical properties. Phytoremediation has great potential to remove heavy metals from sterile dumps, and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) seems to be a possible candidate species for this purpose. The potential of Brassica juncea seeds to germinate in a medium contaminated with high concentrations of Cu, Pb and Cd was assessed using germination tests on Indian mustard seeds in the presence of various liquid mixtures made from fertilizer and sterile material collected from three different mining sterile dumps in Maramures county, Romania. The experiment results showed that adding fertilizers did not enhance the germination process of Brassica juncea seeds and that the optimal pH for Brassica juncea to sprout extremely well is 5.5. The results suggest that Brassica juncea could be used in efficient phytoremediation of the sterile dumps. This paper's objective consists of observing the germination of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in the presence of high concentrations of heavy metals from sterile mining dumps with the purpose of the phytoremediation of the studied polluted areas from Maramures county (Romania).