BORON, ZINC, IRON, AND MANGANESE CONTENT IN 4 GRASSLAND SPECIES

A pot experiment was carried out to Lest the response of the B, Zn, Fe , and Mn concentration in four wild herbaceous species exposed to thre e landfill leachate treatments of increasing concentration of contamin ants The species tested were clustered clover (Trifolium glomcratum L. ), cotton clover (T. tomentosum L.), wall barley (Hordcum murinum L.), and soft brome (Bromus hordaceus L.), The legume species accumulated more Fe and B than the grasses. The least contaminated leachate (leach ate A) significantly increased the Fe and Mn content in T. glomeratum. Leachate B significantly increased the Zn content in both clover spec ies and Pe content in T. glomeratum and H. murinum, while it significa ntly decreased the B content in T. glomeratum. The most contaminated l eachate (leachate C) significantly increased the Zn content in T. glom eratum, while it significantly decreased the B and Fe content. In the four species the content of B, Fe, and Mn in the plants under the leac hate treatments was in a normal values range, while in T. glomeratum a nd H. murinum the Zn content had in some cases a toxic Level (>100 mg L-1), The dry weight of the four species tested diminished significant ly under the most contaminated leachate. The ANOVA confirmed a major s ignificant influence of the ''species factor'' on the response of the plant to leachate supply, but the treatment factor also had significan t F-values in some eases, The species tested have a potential revegeta tion value fur some areas degraded by landfill leachates.