Phytoremediation of some heavy metals in contaminated soil

Sherine M Shehata,Yasmin I E Aboulsoud,Reham K Badawy

doi:10.1186/s42269-019-0214-7

Sherine M Shehata, Yasmin I E Aboulsoud + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-019-0214-7

Copy DOI

Abstract

BackgroundSeveral cultivated areas are irrigated with low-quality waters from the drainage system due to the shortage of suitable source of water for agricultural activities. Most of these drainage waters are contaminated with heavy metals which are concentrated in surface layer of the soil and translocated to plant and food chains. The region of Sahl El Husseiniya, Alsharqia government, is mainly irrigated with wastewater of Bahr El-Baqar drain.ObjectiveTwo types of hyperaccumulator plants represented by kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) were cultivated successively in the study area. Humic acid and gibberellin were used in this experiment as foliar sprayings to enhance the plant ability to absorb heavy metal ions from the soil. In addition, three soil additives represented by sulfur, vermiculite, and compost were also applied.ResultsSulfur was the soil additive of the most pronounced effect on the uptake of Cr, Co, Cd, and Mn by the hyperaccumulator plants, while humic acid was of more favorable effect as a foliar treatment on Co and Cr uptake by flax and Cd and Mn uptake by kenaf. However, the foliar application of gibberellin enhanced plant growth and was of the best effect on both Co and Cr uptake by kenaf-cultivated soils and both Cd and Mn in flax-cultivated soils. In general, heavy metals were more concentrated in roots than in shoots. Comparing the efficiency of the two crops in cleaning soils, results implied that kenaf was of more favorable effect on the removal of Cr, Co, and Cd, while flax was of higher superiority in the removal of Mn. The efficiency of kenaf on removal of the studied metal ions followed the descending order of Cr > Co > Mn > Cd where their removal percentage values reached 50.71, 38.27, 33.98, and 14.43%, respectively. Flax phytoremediation efficiency followed the descending order of Mn > Cr > Co > Cd, where their removal percentage values reached 54.36, 36.95, 28.72, and 11.37%, respectively. Double season phytoremediation efficiency followed the order of Cr ≥ Mn > Co > Cd achieving 66.87, 65.63, 54.66, and 23.40%, respectively.

Highlights

Heavy metal contamination is one of the major abiotic stresses that cause environmental pollution in recent decades (Osman et al 2017)
58% of the total wastewater of Bahr El-Baqar drain comes from agricultural drainage, 2% from industrial wastes, and 40% from domestic and commercial drainage that led to contamination of soils, which irrigated by this water with a lot of heavy metals, e.g., lead, cadmium, nickel, and mercury (Abdel-Fattah and Helmy 2015)
Sulfur soil addition accompanied with gibberellin as foliar spraying was of the highest significant effect on the accumulation of Co in the shoot (1.77 mg/kg), root (5.27 mg/kg), and whole plant sample (7.04 mg/kg)

Summary

Introduction

Heavy metal contamination is one of the major abiotic stresses that cause environmental pollution in recent decades (Osman et al 2017). 58% of the total wastewater of Bahr El-Baqar drain comes from agricultural drainage, 2% from industrial wastes, and 40% from domestic and commercial drainage that led to contamination of soils, which irrigated by this water with a lot of heavy metals, e.g., lead, cadmium, nickel, and mercury (Abdel-Fattah and Helmy 2015). Several cultivated areas are irrigated with low-quality waters from the drainage system due to the shortage of suitable source of water for agricultural activities. Most of these drainage waters are contaminated with heavy metals which are concentrated in surface layer of the soil and translocated to plant and food chains. The region of Sahl El Husseiniya, Alsharqia government, is mainly irrigated with wastewater of Bahr El-Baqar drain

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion