Phytoremediation Potential of Native Hyperaccumulator Plants Growing on Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil of Khatunabad Copper Smelter and Refinery, Iran

Abstract

The characterization of prospective plants is one of the critical issues in the efficiency and success of the phytoremediation process. Due to adaption and tolerance to different environmental stresses, native plant species have priority in this method. This study examined fifty plants of five species, namely Launaea acanthodes, Artemisia sp., Cousinia congesta, Peganum harmala, and Stipa sp., growing near a smelter and refinery in Iran to identify potential species for phytoextraction and phytostabilization. Therefore, Pb, Ni, Mn, Mo, S, and Cu concentrations in sampled plants and soils were analyzed. Three different pollution indices, namely metal accumulation index (MAI), translocation factor (TF), and bioconcentration factor (BCF) were used for evaluating the metal concentrations in roots and shoots of each plant species. The results indicated that Artemisia sp., with values of 3.21, 1.09, and 1.14 for MAI, BCF, and TF, respectively, is appropriate for phytoextraction in the study area. Plants such as Launaea acanthodes and Cousinia congesta with high BCF and low TF values showed the potential for phytostabilization. Investigating the indices for different elements demonstrated that Launaea acanthodes had a BCF value greater than 1 and a TF value less than 1; therefore, this plant could be used in the phytoremediation of arsenic through the phytostabilization technique. Furthermore, copper has very low bioavailability in these plant species. In addition, these native plant species were highly capable of accumulating sulfur from the soil because the BCF and TF indices for all inspected species were higher than 1; for Launaea acanthodes, the relevant TF value was about 10. The proposed native plant could be applied in practical applications of phytoremediation for soil remediation of contaminated sites around the metal factories and mines in southeastern Iran.

Chromium (III) removal by perennial emerging macrophytes in floating treatment wetlands

“…( 7 ) 17 : where is the concentration of metal in roots (µg/g d.w.) and is the concentration of metal in solution (µg/L). BCF is a simple and reliable method for determining the relative bioavailability of heavy metals to plants 29 .…”

The capacity of Plectranthus sp. to perform phytoremediation on heavy metal mercury (Hg) in the tailing of gold processing industries

“…To assess accumulator plants, use TF. According to [40], TF is the ratio of metal concentration in the shoot to metal concentration in the root. A plant's ability to acquire and store metals is demonstrated by BAC readings >1 and TF<1.…”

“…A plant's ability to acquire and store metals is demonstrated by BAC readings >1 and TF<1. More translocation occurs in the plant canopy when the TF value is greater than 1 [40]. Studies pertaining to phytoextraction and phytomining.…”

Phytoremediation Potential of Heavy Metals by <i>Cyperus rotundus</i>

“…The capacity of a plant to move metals from its roots to its shoots is referred to as the translocation factor (TF) [59]. Moreover, the translocation factor (TF) is used to compare metal translocation levels in plants from the root zone to the respiratory organs [60]. However, the ability of a plant for phytoremediation may be estimated in two ways: by its bioconcentration factor (BCF) and by its translocation factor (TF) [58].…”