Ecophysiological Effects of Porsuk River's Water and Boron Mine Wastewater on Cucumis Sativus L-Seeds

Abstract

Pure water resources are decreasing dramatically and wastewater treatment, to be able to reuse water, is highly crucial for this ecological issue. In this study, Porsuk River was chosen as a wastewater source, with its polluted water, taken from pre-determined stations outside the city. Water with higher concentrations of boron was obtained from boron mine wastewater. Boron is a low-abundance element essential for plant growth, which depending on concentration, can be considered as both a nutritional and toxic element. The experimental organism of Cucumis sativus L. (Beith alpha variety) was used to show the effects of wastewater applications on seedling development by measuring stem-root length and biomass. In conclusion, river water and boron mine wastewater treatments have no inhibitory effects on the growth and biomass of Cucumis sativus seeds statistically. This practical and low-cost method can be used in agriculture, where wastewater can be used without further processing. We can say that Cucumis sativus can be cultivated in boron polluted areas as a boron tolerant plant.