New insight into the environmental impact of two imidazolium ionic liquids. Effects on seed germination and soil microbial activity

- Addition effect on seedling emergence and microbial growth of two ILs is analysed.
- High doses of both ILs produced total inhibition of seedling emergence.
- Microcalorimetry provides information about the ILs effect on soil microorganisms.
- Two different patterns of toxic effects on power time curves of soil were observed.
- Plants are more sensitive to the presence of ILs than soil microorganisms.

The next generation of ionic liquids must be synthetized taking into account structures that guarantee the suitable properties for a defined application as well as ecological data. Thus, searching of the right methodologies to know, quickly and efficiently, the ecological effects of these compounds is a preliminary task.The effects of two imidazolium based ionic liquids with different anions, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [C4C1Im][BF4], and 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [C3C1Im][NTf2], on seedling emergence of six tree species and on the microbial behaviour of two soils were determined in this work. Results showed that the highest doses of both ionic liquids caused the total inhibition of germination for almost all the species studied and that the seeds are more sensitive to the presence of these compounds than soil microbial activity. Nevertheless, signals of stress and death are observed from the results of heat released by microorganisms after the addition of the highest doses of both ionic liquids.The novelty of this work resides in the enlargement of knowledge of toxicity of ILs on complex organisms such as arboreal species and microbial activity of soils studied for the first time through a microcalorimetric technique.