Assessment of Phytotoxicity of Landfilled Waste and Foundry Dust Based on The Direct Test

Abstract

The article presents the results of phytotoxicity tests on foundry dust and landfilled waste. Currently, all this waste is being reused. The research has focused on phytotoxicity tests performed directly on the waste. Garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) was used as the test plant. The germination test (GI) and the accumulation test were used to assess phytotoxicity. All dust types were highly phytotoxic to L. sativum L. in the direct test. The reason for this effect could be the low pH, the high level of heavy metals (HM), and probably the presence of organic pollutants (phenol, formaldehyde). The most phytotoxic was electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), classified as hazardous waste due to the high content of HM. The landfilled foundry waste (LFW) was characterised by moderate phytotoxicity in the direct test. The study confirmed the usefulness of the direct test in the phytotoxicity assessment of foundry waste with L. sativum L.