This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper and lead) on the seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, and examinated the removal effects of biostone and green tea on the heavy metal toxicity. Cadmium and chromium among the four heavy metals had no effect on the seed germination even in the concentration fifty times higher than in the official standard concentration of pollutant exhaust notified by the Ministry of Environment. However, seeds were not germinated in the concentration of copper ten times higher and in the concentration of lead fifty times higher than the official standard concentration. When seeds were sown in the solutions of lead (15, 20, 25 and 30 mg/L) and copper (15 and 20 mg/L), the seed germination rates were 0% and less than 10%, respectively. However, when biostone (3 g/30 ml) was added, the seed germination rate was 100% in all the concentrations. The germination rate was 100% in distilled water and copper solution (5 mg/L). However, green tea (0.2 g/30 ml) was added, the seed germination rate was 0% in both. The results show that cadmiun and chromium had no effect on the seed germination, but lead and copper decreased the rate of seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. Biostone removed heavy metal toxicity, but green tea did not removed heavy metal toxicity during germination.

The experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of sulfuric acid and nitric acid among the main components of simulated acid rain (SAR) on the growth of vegetative organs and seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. The Arabidopsis treated with SAR supplemented with sulfuric and nitric acids, respectively, showed 28% and 30% decrease of shoot and root growth compared to the control plants, and also many necrotic spots on leaf surfaces after SAR treatment were observed. The shoot and root length for plants grown with nitric acid rain was 14% and 17% lower, respectively, compared to the control, whereas those grown with sulfuric acid rain was 24% and 25% lower than control plants. When Arabidopsis seeds were sown in distilled water, germination rate was 100% after 7 days. However, 80% in SAR medium supplemented with sulfuric and nitric acids, 88% in sulfuric acid rain medium and 93% in nitric acid rain medium. The germination abilities of seeds harvested from SAR supplemented with sulfuric and nitric acids, sulfuric acid rain, and nitric acid rain were 73%, 73% and 94%, respectively. Consequently, sulfuric acids showed more inhibitory effects than nitric acids on the growth of vegetative organs as well as germination rates in Arabidopsis.

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of heavy metals (copper, cadmium, lead and chrome) on the growth of plant and seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana treated with various concentrations of heavy metals. Cadmium and chrome among the 4 heavy metals had no effect on the growth of stem even in the concentration fifty times higher than the official standard concentration of pollutant exhaust notified by the Ministry of Environment. The official standard concentration of cadmium, however, stimulated the growth of stem in general, increasing leaf size and surface area, although it had no effect on the length of stem. But the growth of stem was decreased about 18% in the official standard concentration of pollutant exhaust of lead and copper. There was no growth of root in the concentration of lead and copper ten times higher than the official standard concentration. Cadmium and chrome had no effect on the seed germination, but lead and copper decreased the rate of seed germination. Seeds were not germinated in the concentration of copper ten times higher than the official standard concentration and in the concentration of lead fifty times higher than the official standard concentration. From this research three peculiar results were obtained. Chrome in the soil did not have much effect on the plant growth and seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. Cadmium stimulated the stem growth in an optimum concentration. But lead and copper reduced the plant growth and seed germination even in a small concentration, especially copper had the worse effect.