Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 International Journal of Environmental Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-020-00249-2 RESEARCH PAPER Efect of Landfll Leachate on the Growth Parameters in Two Selected Varieties of Fiber Hemp Petr Kalousek 1  · Patrik Schreiber 1  · Tomáš Vyhnánek 1  · Václav Trojan 1  · Dana Adamcová 2  · Magdalena Daria Vaverková 2,3 Received: 28 August 2019 / Revised: 14 February 2020 / Accepted: 23 February 2020 © University of Tehran 2020 Abstract The infuence of landfll leachate on selected growth parameters in two varieties (‘Bialobrzeskie’ and ‘Monoica’) of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) was studied to evaluate phytoremediation potential of these varieties. The plants were cultivated in hydroponic culture in Knop’s nutrient solution. Landfll leachate was added to nutrient solution in concentrations of 10, 15, 20 and 40%, respectively. After 14 days of cultivation, selected parameters of above-ground organs and root system were determined in experimental plants, namely height of plants, dry weight of aerial parts, total leaf area, total length of the root system, dry weight of the root system and the content of photosynthetic pigments in leaves. The leachate application afected all the monitored parameters: the decrease in height of the plants, length of the root system, dry weight, total leaf area, and content of photosynthetic pigments were observed. While the 10% and 15% concentration of leachate often caused only a slight decrease in the monitored parameters, the 20% concentration dramatically afected all the observed characteristics. Concentration of 40% caused severe stunting and in some cases, even dying of experimental plants. The higher degree of tolerance in almost all parameters was observed in ‘Monoica’. This variety appears to be more suitable for landfll leachate treatment, but further research is needed, especially in terms of heavy metals accumulation in individual organs. According to our knowledge, this paper represents the frst study on the use of hemp for treatment of landfll leachate. Article Highlights • Two selected technical varieties of hemp ´Bialobrzeskie´ and ´Monoica´ with potential of heavy metals accumula- tion were tested in hydroponic culture as a potentially usable crops for treatment of landfill leachate. • The optimal dilution of landfill leachate tolerated by plants of hemp was tested based on measurement of selected growth and physiological parameters. • The tolerance of both varieties against landfill leachate was compared, the higher degree of tolerance has been proven in ´Monoica´ variety. Keywords Cannabis sativa L. · Landfll leachate · Heavy metals · Hydroponic culture Introduction Landflling is an anthropogenic activity that changes the environment and has been underestimated for decades (Gworek et al. 2016; Wong et al. 2016). Landfilling is widely used for waste disposal, particularly for waste con- sisting of everyday items, known as municipal solid waste (MSW) (Vaverková et al. 2013). In general, it can be stated that landflling always has a negative impact on the environ- ment. Landflls pose a risk to workers and local communities (Asif and Chen 2016) and result in the contamination and/ * Petr Kalousek petr.kalousek@mendelu.cz 1 Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic 2 Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic 3 Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02776 Warsaw, Poland