Abstract
The article discusses the creation of a methodological approach and the specific technologies based on it in terms of the phytostabilization of urban soils contaminated with heavy metals, taking into account the peculiarities of urban ecosystems functioning in order to ensure the environmental safety of industrial wastelands. Based on the analysis of existing soil restoration methods, a mechanism for creating an integrated phytostabilization technology was developed by involving the components differing in action, aimed at reducing the migration ability of heavy metals in soil and their translocation into plants. It was suggested to increase the phytoremediation potential of phytostabilizers through the stimulation of internal defence mechanisms of plants, and through additional application of an ameliorant to bind heavy metal cations in soil, as well as through the use of microbiological preparation in order to restore soil protective functions. The practicability of phytostabilization using alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants combined with detoxification with an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate and the BTU-r multipurpose biocomplex microbiological preparation was experimentally confirmed by means of an example of lead contamination of urban ecosystem soils in the city of Dnipro. It was concluded that their combination provides the lowest Pb2+ removal from the soil by alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants and a significant reduction in the availability of the metal compounds in soil.
Highlights
Phytostabilization involves the use of plants that are resistant to heavy metals, making them unavailable/inactive in soils through sorption, precipitation, complexation or chemical reduction (EPA, 1997; Erakhrumen & Agbontalor, 2007; Erdei 2005), individually, but these are more efficient when combined with changes in soil properties, in order to limit the bioavailability of metals
The development of a new methodological approach to ensure phytostabilization of urban ecosystem soils contaminated with metal compounds provided for the following conditions: increasing the phytoremediation potential of the stabilizing plant by using a rooting compound, through the creation of a branched root system, to smooth the signs of degradation of urban soils by applying the microbiological preparation, and to reduce the availability of the heavy metal compounds by introducing the ameliorant (Table 2)
The suggested approach was tested in the conditions of high levels of lead contamination of the urban ecosystem soils in the city of Dnipro (Ukraine) to observe the expected environmental effect
Summary
Phytostabilization involves the use of plants that are resistant to heavy metals, making them unavailable/inactive in soils through sorption, precipitation, complexation or chemical reduction (EPA, 1997; Erakhrumen & Agbontalor, 2007; Erdei 2005), individually, but these are more efficient when combined with changes in soil properties, in order to limit the bioavailability of metals. The phytostabilizing plants can be found through systematization of wild species growing on soils with excess content of heavy metals, followed by the analysis of their distribution in plant organs (Cetinkaya & Sozen, 2011). The plant species should have a greater ability to accumulate metals in the roots, while their transfer to aerial parts tissues is very limited (Fagnano et al, 2020); such plants can be potentially consumed by living organisms (Vangronsveld & Cunningham, 1998).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
