PHYTOTOXIC POTENCY ASSESSMENT OF NËNSHKODRA LOWLAND WATER BODIES ENRICHED WITH CHROMIUM (VI)

Chromium is a common contaminant of surface and ground waters, because of its natural sources, industrial applications, mining, smelters, combustion by-products and fuel. In the present work the Allium cepa L test was used to detect the root growth restriction effect of some chromium (VI) doped riverside waters of NënShkodra lowland (North-West Albania), because of chromium mine presence down streaming Drini River and this area’s 2010 flooding. Filtered tap water from the main supply of Shkodra city was used as control. The visible toxic effects of Cr (VI) were: root bending in concentrations higher than 2.5 mg/L, rigid tips and shrinking in all samples in concentrations higher than 7.5 mg/L. The inhibition of root growth was statistically significant only in natural samples at concentration 2.5 mg/L (p