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Metal Accumulation by Woody Species on Contaminated Sites in the North of France

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Abstract

Metal accumulation was investigated in a range of woody species that were planted on Cd-, Zn- and Pb- polluted sites in North of France. The study is unique in that we directly compare a large number of woody species (25). The highest accumulation of Zn and Cd was found in the Salicaceae family members with up to 950 mg Zn kg−1 dry weight (DW) and 44 mg Cd kg−1 DW in leaves of Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides. Zn content was positively correlated with Cd content, both in leaves and stems. Pb concentration was generally low and was species-independent. Oak and birch species accumulated more Mn as compared to other woody species. A seasonal variation in metal accumulation could be found. Although soil compositions and metal bioavailabilities differed amongst the experimental sites chosen in this study, variation of metal concentrations within a given species was small. High bioconcentration factors for poplar and willow suggested the high potential of these species over other woody species for metal accumulation. Taken together, these data suggest that poplar and willow species are good candidates for phytoremediation programmes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Annick Brun-Jacob, Barbara Montanini and Claire Fourrey for their help with leaf harvests. This work was supported by an ANR PRECODD project (ANR-06-ECOT-O15-01) and by a Ph.D. grant to A. Migeon from the Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie (ADEME) and the Conseil Régional de Lorraine. We also thank Bertrand Girondelot from ADEME (Douai, France) for providing us with access to the experimental sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité Mixte de Recherche Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique/Université Henri Poincaré 1136 “Tree–microbe Interactions”, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Nancy University, BP 70239, 54506, Vandoeuvre-lés-Nancy, France

    Aude Migeon, Frédéric Guinet, Michel Chalot & Damien Blaudez

  2. Laboratoire de Bioénergétique des Bactéries et Microalgues/Institut de Biologie Environnementale et Biotechnologie, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique de Cadarache, Bat. 161, 13108, Saint Paul les Durance, France

    Pierre Richaud

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  1. Aude Migeon
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Correspondence to Damien Blaudez.

Appendix

Appendix

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Norme française. NF ISO 10694. Qualité du sol—Dosage du carbone organique et du carbone total après combustion sèche (analyse élémentaire). AFNOR, 1995, in AFNOR (1999).

Norme française. NF ISO 13878. Qualité du sol—Détermination de la teneur totale en azote par combustion sèche (“analyse élémentaire”). AFNOR, 1998, in AFNOR (1999).

Norme française. NF X 31-130. Qualité des sols. Méthodes chimiques. Détermination de la capacité d'échange cationique (CEC) et des cations extractibles. AFNOR, 1993, in AFNOR (1999).

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Migeon, A., Richaud, P., Guinet, F. et al. Metal Accumulation by Woody Species on Contaminated Sites in the North of France. Water Air Soil Pollut 204, 89–101 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-009-0029-5

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