The influence of environmental factors and heavy metals in the soil on plants’ growth and development

Abstract

Plants need certain conditions that represent their living environment. When the living environment provides the conditions required by the plant, it will grow and develop properly. The growth and development of plants involve environmental factors, which represent those constituent elements of the natural environment, which actively intervene in plants’ life. The present work shows the characteristics of an agricultural soil, contaminated with heavy metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) in different concentrations, which has been divided into pots, in which were thereafter planted vegetable seedlings (tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, spinach, carrots, radishes). During the plants’ growing time, the temperature and humidity of the air inside the greenhouse, as well as the humidity and pH of the soil, were monitored. The growth and the development of the plants under certain conditions were also tracked, until the end of the growing period. The results of monitoring the plants’ growth and development are important in assessing the impact of the contamination over the soil and the plants.

Keywords

• environmental factors
• heavy metals
• soil
• plants