Effect of soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from drilling waste on germination and growth of lawn grasses.

In many studies, grasses were used to increase the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil because they are the most common plant species on the ground level and are quite resistant to contamination with these compounds. One of the main failures in PAH remediation in soil using plant species was the negative impact on germination and seedling growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate grass seed germination and seedling growth affected by drill cuttings to determine the resistance of selected grass species to the impact of PAH and their suitability for an effective phytoremediation of soils contaminated with waste that contain compounds from this group.

Assessment of Cu, Pb and Zn content in selected species of grasses and in the soil of the roadside embankment.

It was assumed in the study that heavy metals occurring in soils and the air accumulate in grasses constituting the main species used in the turfing of soil in road verges and embankments along traffic routes and in other parts of urbanized areas. The aim of the present study was to assess the bioaccumulation of Cu, Pb, and Zn in three selected lawn cultivars of five grass species and in the soil of the roadside green belt in terms of soil properties and heavy metal uptake by plants in the aspect of determining their usefulness in protecting the soils from contamination caused by motor vehicle traffic. Samples of the plant material and soil were collected for chemical analysis in the autumn of 2018 (October) on the embankment along National Road No.