Feasibility of using plants to assist in the remediation of heavy metal contamination at J-Field, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Final report

Abstract

Most remedial technologies currently being used at hazardous waste sites (e.g., containment, excavation, soil washing, or incineration) are expensive. Further, in some locations technologies involving excavation could increase off-site releases of hazardous materials by destabilizing the site. Thus, interest in the development of in situ bioremediation technologies has grown substantially over the last decade. The idea of phytoremediation (i.e., using plants to clean up toxic wastes) is generating increasing attention from scientists, industry, and government agencies. The attractiveness of phytoremediation stems from its potential (1) to be less expensive than technologies involving the human engineering costs of soil manipulation, and (2) to initiate simultaneously both the clean up of hazardous materials and site restoration. The purpose of this project was to investigate the potential for using plants to remediate J-Field soils contaminated with heavy metals. Phragmites australis, one of the dominant species in the Toxic Burning Pits (TBP) area and other contaminated sites within J-Field, appears to be both tolerant of heavy metal contaminated soil conditions and capable of producing large amounts of biomass. Consequently, this project has concentrated on characterizing heavy metal accumulation by Phragmites australis growing in the TBP area relative to soil concentrations and availabilities. This type of information is necessary to determine the feasibility of using this species to assist in the remediation of metal contaminated soils at J-Field.