Phytoremediation Potential of Four Native Plants in Soils Contaminated with Lead in a Mining Area

Nan Lu, Gang Li, Yingying Sun, Yang Wei, Lirong He and Yan Li
Additional contact information
Nan Lu: Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an Jiaotong University, Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Xi’an 712000, China
Gang Li: Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an Jiaotong University, Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Xi’an 712000, China
Yingying Sun: Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an Jiaotong University, Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Xi’an 712000, China
Yang Wei: Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an Jiaotong University, Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Xi’an 712000, China
Lirong He: Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an Jiaotong University, Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Xi’an 712000, China
Yan Li: Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an Jiaotong University, Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements, Xi’an 712000, China

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Metal pollution in soils is an issue of global concern, and lead (Pb) pollution is considered to be the most serious type. The arid and semi-arid areas of Northwest China are rich in Pb ore resources. In this study, four native crops [wormwood ( Artemisia capillaris ), dandelion ( Taraxacum mongolicum ), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ), and plantain ( Plantago asiatica L.)] that grow naturally around tailings slag in a mining area in Northwest China were selected to screen their ecological restoration impacts on Pb-contaminated soil. In pot experiments, four different metal lead pollution gradients (0, 2, 3, and 5‰ w/w ) were set, and crop growth indexes such as plant height, root length, and biomass, together with the changes of soil Pb content in different tissues and organs before and after planting were analyzed. The results showed the difference in the amount of accumulated Pb in relation to the level of Pb content in the soil. It was found that wormwood and plantain have great potential as remediation plants for soil metal lead pollution in the arid and semi-arid lead bearing mining areas of Northwest China.

Keywords: lead contaminated/pollution; phytoremediation; tolerance; accumulation; distribution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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