Effects of ethylimidazolium nitrate and the aluminium nitrate salt mixtures on germination of three forest species

Ionic liquids are synthetic compounds with melting temperatures lower than 100 ºC and with high ability of modification of their physical and chemical properties from changes on their chemical structure. Although the number of applications in the last years has been continuously increasing, their effects on the different terrestrial ecosystems have been scarcely studied.

In this work, the effects of the ionic liquid ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), the aluminium nitrate salt (Al(NO₃)₃) and the saturated mixture of both components on germination of three forest species have been studied. Different doses from control to 10% weight of the three treatments were applied at seeds of three different forest species (Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Pinus radiata D. Don and Pinus Sylvestris L.) and the germination of these seeds were continuously monitored during 35 days.

The results showed that the addition of ionic liquid, salt and mixture provoke the reduction of germination for all the species. Concentrations of 5% and higher incite the total inhibition of the germination of all species for all the treatments, being EAN treatment the most harmful.