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Phytoremediation of arsenic‐contaminated soil as affected by the chelating agent CDTA and different levels of soil pH
Author(s) -
Bagga Davinderjit K.,
Peterson Scott
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
remediation journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.762
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6831
pISSN - 1051-5658
DOI - 10.1002/rem.1027
Subject(s) - arsenic , phytoremediation , environmental remediation , environmental chemistry , chemistry , soil contamination , chelation , contamination , soil water , amendment , environmental science , heavy metals , biology , soil science , ecology , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , political science , law
Elevated levels of arsenic can pose a major threat to both human health and the environment. Thephytoremediation of heavy metals from soil is emerging as a cost‐effective technology for theremediation of contaminated soils. The present greenhouse study was undertaken to identify plants capable oftolerating and accumulating high concentrations of arsenic. Asparagus fern and rye grass were found to tolerateand accumulate more than 1,100 ppm of arsenic in plant tissue. Arsenic uptake as affected by different levelsof the chelating agent trans‐1, 2‐ cyclohexylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid (CDTA) andsoil pH were also studied. The application of 5 mmol kg −1 of CDTA toarsenic‐contaminated medium loam field soil enhanced the accumulation of arsenic by the test plants.Under these conditions, plants accumulated up to 1,400 ppm of arsenic as compared to 950 ppm by the plantsgrown in soil containing 1,200 ppm of arsenic but without any amendment of the chelating agent. Plants grown infield soil of pH 5 containing 300 ppm of arsenic absorbed higher concentrations of arsenic than at other testedpH levels. Corresponding reductions in arsenic content of soil after plant harvests were observed. © 2001John Wiley & Sons, Inc.