Bioenergy crop rotation for phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils at Mahd AD'Dahab mine, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Phytoremediation is a viable approach in order to mitigate toxic soil levels and, therefore, the associated impacts of HMs. This approach requires the assessment of contaminated sites and the selection of reportedly efficient phytoremediators, which might contribute to facilitating the practical implementation of phytoremediation in polluted soils. In a twelve-month microcosm experiment, Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and rapeseed (Brassica napus) plants were planted over the winter season. Subsequently, maize (Zea maize) was planted after the harvest of these plants. Oil crop rotation systems might promote tested HM removal (Cu, Cd, Fe, Ni, Mn, Zn, and Pb) from the Mahd AD'Dahab mine-contaminated soil and provide higher biomass than single crops. The results indicated that both the rapeseed maize and Indian mustard maize rotation showed the highest phytoextraction efficiency compared to a single crop. The extraction of Zn, Pb, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Cd are 18, 27, 29, 24, 23, 24, and 28%, respectively, for Indian mustard-maize rotation, although 17, 27, 31, 24, 21, 23, and 26% respectively for rapeseed-maize rotation. The short rotation strategy could be helpful in landscaped and controlled access to the polluted sites. The utilization of short-rotation phytoremediation has the potential to emerge as a financially viable approach for the management of polluted areas. This method involves enhancing biomass yield through the implementation of phytomanagement techniques such as fertilization, irrigation, and coppicing, thereby capitalizing on the benefits associated with both biomass production and landscape management.