The assessment of phytoremediation potential of wild plant species in areas polluted by metals is very important, as it will enable the use of eco-friendly remediation methods in these territories. Sixteen native wild plant species growing in Cu-contaminated soils of a mining region in Armenia were investigated to reveal their phytoremediation potential. In roots (dry weight) of dominant plant species in this area the content of copper varied between 55 mg/kg (
Hypericum perforatum
) and 775 mg/kg (
Thymus kotschyanus
), and in shoots of plants in the range from 33 mg/kg (
Teucrium orientale
) to 243 mg/kg (
Phleum pratense
). Since the Cu accumulation capability of plants depends both on physiological peculiarities of the plants and on the content of Cu
bioavailable
in the soil, the studies were carried out in this direction and it was found out that the high contents of soil organic matter (SOM) and clay in the soil facilitated the decrease of the ratio Cu
bioavailable
/Cu
total
and as a result, the decrease of Cu accumulation capability of plants.
Thymus kotschyanus
,
Phleum pratense
and
Achillea millefolium
had the highest phytostabilization potential from all studied species due to high bioconcentration factors of their roots (BCF
root
) and low translocation factors (TF) registered in these plants.
Research was carried out to determine and asses the influence of mining industries on soil contamination with application of various pollution indices. For soil sampling 13 points were selected. Soil samples were analyzed for heavy metals by AAS. Eleven elements were determined and the greater quantities were generally observed in case of Mo and Cu. During the testing of soil pollution level pollution load index, degree of contamination (Cd) and geoaccumulation index were used. The correlation analysis revealed the strongest positive correlation between molybdenum and copper and that the high content of mentioned elements in soil was caused by mining industry. Assessment based on Cd showed that the 33.3% of A horizon soil samples referred to a very high degree of pollution. Obtained results will be useful for implementation of control measures of pollution and the remediation techniques.
The aim of the present study was the assessment of soil pollution by some potentially toxic trace elements in the environs of Akhtala Mining and Processing Enterprise and related environmental risks. The study was implemented in 2018. The level of soil contamination with trace elements was assessed by Enrichment factor, which is widely used as a contamination index. The study revealed that the soils, almost in all studied sites, were polluted by Cu, Pb, Zn, Co and Ni. From all trace elements studied the highest contents compared with background were observed for copper. Such situation is conditioned by anthropogenic factor, in particular, by mining activities since copper is the main metal extracted in Akhtala Mining and Processing Enterprise.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.