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Phytoremediation ability of Helichrysum arenarium plant for Au and Ag: case study at Demirören village (Gümüşhane, Turkey)

Gold Bulletin (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

It was investigated ability of Helichrysum arenarium plant, in phytoextraction, phytostabilization, and phytoremediation in this study. Soil and plant samples were collected from the Demirören alteration site which has the potential of gold mineralization and analyzed for gold and silver. When the results of the analysis were evaluated, it was determined that the gold and silver contents in the soil did not show compatibility with the gold and silver contents of the plants grown at the same point. It was concluded that the high gold and silver concentrations in the plants are related to the hydrothermal alteration and weathering at the point where the plants grow. For investigation of phytoremediation ability of the plant, translocation factor (TF), bio-concentration factor (BCF), and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) were calculated. The values of TF, BAF, and BCF for Ag are equal 0.33, 0.043, and 0.13 and for Au are equal 2.04, 0.59, and 0.29, respectively. So, obtained data show that Helichrysum arenarium is not appropriate for phytoextraction and phytostabilization of gold and silver in this case, but H. arenarium can be used in phyto-mining and for biogeochemical exploration of gold. Considering that the gold and silver concentrations in the developed soil in the study area are low concentrations, it is predicted that a similar study will yield satisfactory-interesting results when it is made in plants grown on the gold mineralization/enrichment areas.

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Fig. 1

Data availability

Data supporting Fig. 1, Tables 1, 2, and 3 are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by the Gümüşhane University Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit, Turkey (Grant Number: 13.F5114.02.2). The authors would like to thank Gümüşhane University Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit for its support and Prof.Dr. Ferkan Sipahi, who took part in the project as a researcher. The authors also thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their improvement of the manuscript.

Funding

The study was supported by the Gümüşhane University Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit, Turkey with Grant Number: 13.F5114.02.2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of Geological Engineering, Gümüşhane University, Gümüşhane, Turkey

    Alaaddin Vural

  2. School of Mining, Petroleum and Geophysics, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrud, Iran

    Semaneh Safari

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  1. Alaaddin Vural
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Correspondence to Alaaddin Vural.

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Vural, A., Safari, S. Phytoremediation ability of Helichrysum arenarium plant for Au and Ag: case study at Demirören village (Gümüşhane, Turkey). Gold Bull (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13404-022-00313-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13404-022-00313-z

Keywords

  • Helichrysum arenarium
  • Phytoextraction
  • Phytostabilization
  • Phytoremediation
  • Gümüşhane