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Phytostabilization potential of two ecotypes of Vetiveria zizanioides in cadmium-contaminated soils: greenhouse and field experiments

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Abstract

Soil contamination by cadmium (Cd) poses a serious environmental and public health concern. Phytoremediation, i.e., the use of plants to remove contaminants from soil, has been proposed for treatment of Cd-contaminated ecosystems. In this study, we demonstrated the potential of Vetiveria zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver, to serve as an effective phytoremediation agent. Two ecotypes, i.e., India and Sri Lanka, were grown in greenhouse pots and in the field. Soils were amended with cow manure, pig manure, bat manure, and an organic fertilizer. Among all amendments, pig manure performed best in both greenhouse and field studies in terms of increasing total V. zizanioides biomass production in both ecotypes. In both greenhouse and in the field, tissue of the Sri Lanka ecotype had higher Cd concentrations than did the India ecotype. In the greenhouse, the presence of Cd did not affect total biomass production or root dry weight. The Sri Lanka ecotype had 2.7 times greater adventitious root numbers and 3.6 times greater Cd accumulation in roots than did the India ecotype. In the field study, the Sri Lanka ecotype offers potential as an excluder species, as it accumulated Cd primarily in roots, with translocation factor values <1 and a bioconcentration coefficient for roots >1 for all experiments except for the pig manure amendment. In addition, the highest Cd concentration in the Sri Lanka ecotype root (71.3 mg kg−1) was consistent with highest Cd uptake (10.4 mg plant−1) in the cow manure treatment. The India ecotype contained lower root Cd concentrations, and Cd accumulation was slightly higher in shoots compared to roots, with translocation factor (TF) values >1. The India ecotype was therefore not considered as an excluder in the Cd-contaminated soil. With the use of excluder species combined with application of organic amendments, soil contamination by Cd may be treated by alternative remediation methods such as phytostabilization.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (contract no. KMUTNB-GEN-58-31).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Center, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok, 10800, Thailand

    Theerawut Phusantisampan

  2. Mahidol University, Nakhonsawan Campus, Nakhonsawan, 60130, Thailand

    Weeradej Meeinkuirt

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand

    Patompong Saengwilai

  4. Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA

    John Pichtel

  5. Faculty of Environmental and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Nakornpathom, 73120, Thailand

    Rattanawat Chaiyarat

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  1. Theerawut Phusantisampan
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  2. Weeradej Meeinkuirt
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  3. Patompong Saengwilai
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  4. John Pichtel
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  5. Rattanawat Chaiyarat
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Correspondence to Weeradej Meeinkuirt.

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Phusantisampan, T., Meeinkuirt, W., Saengwilai, P. et al. Phytostabilization potential of two ecotypes of Vetiveria zizanioides in cadmium-contaminated soils: greenhouse and field experiments. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 20027–20038 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7229-5

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