The Potential of Irankoh Indigenous Plant Species for the Phytoremediation of Cadmium and Lead Contaminated Land

Abstract

A field survey of higher terrestrial plants growing on a metalliferous site of the Iranian arid mountain in Isfahan was conducted to identify species accumulating exceptionally large concentrations of Cd and Pb in shoots and roots. Plant samples were collected from Irankoh areas near the Bama Pb and Zn mine. Sampling was carried out in Spring 2004 and analyzed for total Cd and Pb by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Total and available Cd in the studied soils was 3.2–4.2 μ gg−1 and 0.03–0.1 μ gg−1, respectively. Soil total and available Pb were also considerably high (183–320 μ gg−1and 9–34 μ gg−1, respectively). Cadmium and lead enrichment factors (shoot/soil ratios) and shoot/root concentration ratios were considerably high in Acantholimon sp. Ebenus stellata and Astragalus glaucanthus. These native plants tolerated and absorbed high levels of metals, preferably into above-ground biomass, which may be suggested for phytoremediation of Cd and Pb contaminated lands in arid regions.