Abstract
Heavy metal pollution in soil and water is a global environmental concern. In Sri Lanka, accumulation of heavy metals in soil, water and plant/animal biomass has been widely reported. Phytoremediation, the use of plants and their associated microbes, is an emerging, low-cost, environmental-friendly approach in the cleanup and prevention of environmental pollution. Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea) has been widely used to extract toxic metals from contaminated soils worldwide. Sri Lanka has a genetically diverse mustard collection, but their phytoextarctive potentials are yet to be determined. Present study was conducted to evaluate variation in phytoextractive ability of soil-borne heavy metals by ten different mustard accessions. Heavy metal contents (Mn, Co, Pb and Zn) in 12-week-old mustard plants (whole plant) were estimated during Maha and Yala in 2007-2008 using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Heavy metal content in soils where the plants were grown was also assessed during the two seasons. Soil Mn and Co concentrations were significantly high in Maha than in Yala. Difference in heavy metal concentrations in mustard accessions between the two seasons was not significant. However, significantly high concentrations of Mn were found in accessions 7788, 515 and 8831 (236, 225, 220x102 μg/g). Cobolt (Co) was significantly high in accession 5088 (238x102 μg/g). Lead (Pb) concentrations were significantly high in accessions 8831 (156x102 μg/g) and 5088 (148x102 μg/g) and Zn was significantly high in accession 501 (6413x102 μg/g). The study suggests that screening the entire mustard germplasm in Sri Lanka is worthwhile to identify potential heavy metal accumulators. Key words: heavy metal hyperaccumulation; phytoremediation DOI: 10.4038/cjsbs.v38i2.1862 Cey. J. Sci. (Bio. Sci.) 38 (2): 85-93, 2009
Highlights
Due to their unassailable nature, metals are a group of pollutants of much concern
Et al, 1997), herbicides, atrazine (Burken and Schnoor, 1997), explosives like trinitrotoluene In Sri Lanka and other regions in South Asia, (TNT) (Hughes et al, 1997), hydrocarbons such the heavy metal and organic pollutant as oil, gasoline, benzene, and toluene (Schnoor contamination already pose a severe threat to et al, 1995) and fuel additives, methyl tertiary human and ecosystem health (World Health butyl ether (Hong et al, 2001)
The heavy metal content of Mn, Co, Pb, and Zn in the plant biomass of each mustard accession was determined for plants grown in Maha and Yala using Atomic Absorption Spectrum (AAS) (Lindsay and Norvell, 1978)
Summary
Due to their unassailable nature, metals are a group of pollutants of much concern. An extensive area of the world is of toxic metals is aggravated by their almost contaminated with organic and inorganic indefinite persistence in the environment. (TNT) (Hughes et al, 1997), hydrocarbons such the heavy metal and organic pollutant as oil, gasoline, benzene, and toluene (Schnoor contamination already pose a severe threat to et al, 1995) and fuel additives, methyl tertiary human and ecosystem health (World Health butyl ether (Hong et al, 2001). There are only a few pollutants include plant macronutrients such as published reports available on the nature of soil nitrates and phosphates, micronutrients, Cr, Cu, and water contamination in Sri Lanka
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