Abstract
The use of plants for detoxification of heavy metals in polluted soils
Author(s): SingananMalairajan, Mitiku Tesso, LakewWondimuPhytoremediation is an environmentally friendly biotechnological approach, which reduces contaminants concentrations without causing any secondary effluent impact in the recipient environment. Plants uptake is one of the major pathways by which potentially toxic elements from the contaminated soils enter the food chain. In this study, three experimental fields were designed. The objective of this research was to determine the phytoremediation efficiency of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Garland daisy (Chrysanthemum coronarium) flowering plant in field experiments. The bioavailability of the heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn) in contaminated soils were assessed by analyzing roots, stem tissues, seeds, flowers and leaves of the plants.Analysis of the data revealed that, the uptake of heavy metals in plant species significantly increased in contaminated soils when compared with the control soil. The pH (water) of the experimental soils was 7.4 and that of the control soil was 6.8. The organic carbon percentages of the experimental soil and the control soil were 9.5%and 8.4%respectively.
