Effect of Chromium and Lead on Yield, Chemical Composition of Essential Oil, and Accumulation of Heavy Metals of Mint Species

Abstract

A pot culture experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of increasing levels (30.0 and 60.0 mg kg−1 soil) of chromium and lead on the yield, chemical composition of essential oil, and phytoaccumulation of heavy metals of three mint species (Mentha arvensis, M. piperita, and M. citrata). The fresh herbage yield of M. arvensis was not significantly affected by the application of chromium and lead, but its essential oil yield was significantly decreased by the application of chromium and lead as compared to the control. The fresh herbage, root yield, and essential oil yield of M. piperita were significantly increased and those of M. citrata were decreased by the increase in the levels of chromium and lead applications. The levels of α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, β-myrcene, limonene, menthone, and isomenthone in M. arvensis and M. piperita oil and of sabinene, pinene, and linalyl acetate in M. citrata oil were considerably affected by the application of chromium and lead to soils as compared to control plants. The concentrations of chromium in shoots and roots of mint species significantly increased as the levels of chromium in soil increased. The increases in the levels of lead in soil enhanced the concentrations of lead in the shoots and roots of mint species as compared to the control. The accumulations of chromium and lead were greater in the roots than in the shoots in all the three species of mint. Mentha piperita was found to be the most suitable crop for cultivation in the chromium- and lead-contaminated soils, followed by M. arvensis and M. citrata.