Water, Air, and Soil Pollution

, Volume 180, Issue 1–4, pp 131–139 | Cite as

Phytoextraction of Metal-Contaminated Soil by Sedum alfredii H: Effects of Chelator and Co-planting

Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Phytoextraction is a promising technology that uses hyperaccumulating plants to remove inorganic contaminants, primarily heavy metals, from soils and waters. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate impacts of a mixture of chelators (MC) upon the growth and phytoextraction of heavy metals by the hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance in a co-planting system in a paddy soil that was historically irrigated with Pb and Zn contaminated mining wastewaters. The co-planting system used in this study was comprised of a Zn- and Cd-hyperaccumulator (S. alfredii) and a low-accumulating crop (Zea mays). Results showed that yields of S. alfredii were significantly increased with the addition of the MC and by co-planting with Z. mays. Our study further revealed that concentrations of Zn, Pb, and Cd in the corn grains of Z. mays conform to the Chinese hygiene standards for animal feeds and in the other parts of Z. mays conform to the Chinese organic fertilizer standards. The uptake of Zn, Cd, and Pb by S. alfredii was significantly increased with the addition of MC. The uptake of Zn by S. alfredii was also significantly enhanced by co-planting with Z. mays, but the interaction between MC and co-planting was not significant, meaning the effects of the two types of treatments should be additive. When the MC was applied to the co-planting system in the soil contaminated with Zn, Cd, and Pb, the highest phytoextraction rates were observed. This study suggested that the use of the hyperaccumulator S. alfredii and the low-accumulating crop Z. mays in the co-planting system with the addition of the MC was a more promising approach than the use of a single hyperaccumulator with the assistance of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). This approach not only enhances the phytoextraction rates of the heavy metals but also simultaneously allows agricultural practices with safe feed products in the metal-contaminated soils.

Keywords

co-cropping mixed chelators metals phytoremediation S. alfredii Zea mays 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by National High-Technology Project of China (863 Project no: 2001-AA-640501-3), French–Chinese Programme de Recherche Avancee (PRA E-03-02) and Natural Science Foundation of China (40571141).

References

  1. Altm, R., Cetinkava, S., & Yucesu, H. S. (2001). The potential of using vegetable oil fuels as fuel for diesel engines. Energy Conversion and Management, 42, 529–538.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Baker, A. J. M., McGrath, S. P., Sidoli, C. M. D., & Reeves, R. D. (1994). The possibility of in situ heavy metal decontamination of polluted soils using crops of metal-accumulating plants. Resource, Conservation and Recycling, 11, 19–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Brown, S. L., Chaney, R. L., & Angle, J. S. (1995). Zinc and cadmium uptake by hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens and metal tolerant Silene vulgaris grown on sludge amended soils. Environmental Science & Technology, 29, 1581–1585.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. CAPM (Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine) (1998). National standards for food hygiene (VI) (pp. 16–113, 217–262). Beijing: China Standards.Google Scholar
  5. Chen, H., & Cutright, T. (2001). EDTA and HEDTA effects on Cd, Cr, and Ni uptake by Helianthus annuus. Chemosphere, 45, 21–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Chen, Y. X., Lin, Q., Luo, Y. M., & He, Y. F. (2003). The role of citric acid on the phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil. Chemosphere, 50, 807–811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Coic, Y., & Coppenet, M. (1989). Les Oligo-Elements en Agriculture et Elevege (pp. 77–93). Paris: INRA Publ.Google Scholar
  8. Cunningham, S. C., Berti, W. R., & Huang, J. W. (1993). Remediation of contaminated soils with green plants: An overview. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology, 29, 207–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Elless, M. P., & Blaylock, M. J. (2000). Amendment optimization to enhance lead extractability from contaminated soils for phytoremediation. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2, 75–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Ernst, W. H. O. (1996). Bioavailability of heavy metals and decontamination of soils by plants. Applied Geochemistry, 11, 163–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Hong, N., & Hou, J. (2004). SAS for windows (V8) (p. 559). Beijing: Tsinghua University Press.Google Scholar
  12. Huang J. W., Chen, J. J., Berti, W. B., & Cuningham, S. D. (1997). Phytoremediation of lead-contaminated soils: Role of synthetic chelates in lead phytoextraction. Environmental Science & Technology, 31, 800–805.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Liao, X. Y., Chen, T. B., Xie, H., & Xiao, X. Y. (2004). Effect of application of P fertilizer on efficiency of As removal from As-contaminated soil using phytoremediation: Field study. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 24, 455–462.Google Scholar
  14. Liu, X. M., Wu, Q. T., & Banks, M. K. (2005). Effect of Simultaneous Establishment of Sedum alfredii and Zea mays on heavy metal accumulation in plants. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 7, 43–53.Google Scholar
  15. Lu, R. K. (2000). Soil and agricultural chemistry analysis. Beijing: China Agricultural.Google Scholar
  16. Luo, F. N., & Jiang, Z. W. (2003). Feed hygienics (pp. 276–280). Beijing: Chemical Industry.Google Scholar
  17. Ma, L. Q., Komar, K. M. M., Tu, C., Zhang, W., Cai, Y., & Kennelley, E. D. (2001). A fern that hyperaccumulates arsenic. Nature, 409, 579.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. McGrath, S. P., Zhao, F. J., & Lombi, E. (2002). Phytoremediation of metals, metalloids, and radionuclides. Advances in Agronomy, 75, 1–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Mulligan, C. N., Yong, R. N., & Gibbs, V. F. (2001). Remediation technologies for metal-contaminated soils and groundwater: An evaluation. Engineering Geologist, 60, 193–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Pulford, I. D., & Watson, C. (2003). Phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated land by trees – A review. Environment International, 29, 529–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Salt, D. E., Blaylock, M., & Kumar, P. B. A. N. (1995). Phytoremediation: A novel strategy for the removal of toxic metal from the environment using plants. Biotechnologies, 13, 468–474.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Samake, M., Wu, Q. T., Mo, C. H., & Morel, J. L. (2003). Plants grown on sewage sludge in South China and its relevance to sludge stabilization and metal removal. Journal of Environmental Science, 15, 622–662.Google Scholar
  23. Schwartz, C., Echevarria, G., & Morel, J. L. (2003). Phytoextraction of cadmium with Thlaspi caerulescens. Plant and Soil, 249, 27–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Sun, Q., Ni, W. Z., Yang, X. X., & Ding, S. M. (2003). Effect of phosphorus on the growth, zinc absorption and accumulation in hyperaccumulator – Sedum alfredii Hance. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 23(6), 818–824.Google Scholar
  25. Wu, L. H., Luo, Y. M., Xing, X. R., & Christie, P. (2004a). EDTA-enhanced phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil with Indian mustard and associated potential leaching risk. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 102, 307–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Wu, Q. T., Deng, J. C., & Long, X. X. (2004b). Mixed chelators enchancing zinc and cadmium uptake by hyperaccumulators and its applying method. China patent, CN 1513946A.Google Scholar
  27. Wu, Q. T., Samake, M., Mo, C. H., & Morel, J. L. (2002). Simultaneous sludge stabilization and metal removal by metal hyper-accumulator plants (pp. 355–364) Transactions of 17th World Congress of Soil Sci. Bangkok.Google Scholar
  28. Yang, X. E., Long, X. X., & Ni, W. Z. (2002). A new zinc hyperaccumulating plant species native to China. China Science Bulletin, 47, 1003–1006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Yang, X. E., Long, X. X., Ye, H. B., & Calvert, D. V. (2004). Cadmium tolerance and hyperaccumulation in a new-Zn hyperaccumulating plant specie (Sedum alfredii Hance). Plant and Soil, 259, 181–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Ye, H. B., Yang, X. E., He, B., & Long, X. X. (2003). Growth response and metal accumulation of Sedum alfredii to Cd/Zn complex-polluted ion levels. Acta Botanica Sinica, 45, 1030–1036.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.College of Natural Resource and EnvironmentSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
  2. 2.Department of Water ResourcesSt. Johns River Water Management DistrictPalatkaUSA

Personalised recommendations