Influence of Clay Mineral Amendments Characteristics on Heavy Metals Uptake in Vetiver Grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides L. Roberty) and Indian Mustard ( Brassica juncea L. Czern)

Beatrice Omonike Otunola, Makhosazana P. Aghoghovwia, Melusi Thwala, Alba Gómez-Arias, Rian Jordaan, Julio Castillo Hernandez and Olusola Oluwayemisi Ololade
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Beatrice Omonike Otunola: Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Makhosazana P. Aghoghovwia: Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Melusi Thwala: Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Alba Gómez-Arias: Centre for Mineral Biogeochemistry, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Rian Jordaan: Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Julio Castillo Hernandez: Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Olusola Oluwayemisi Ololade: Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Phytoremediation is limited when heavy metals reduce soil quality and, subsequently, inhibit plant growth. In this study, we evaluated the use of attapulgite and bentonite as amendments in soil contaminated with multiple metals, to improve the phytoremediation capacity of Vetiver grass and Indian mustard. A 21-day greenhouse study was undertaken, to investigate plant tolerance in heavy-metal-contaminated soil, as well as heavy-metal absorption in plant roots and shoots. The results showed a generally higher root-uptake rate for Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, and Zn in Vetiver grass. Overall, the highest absorption for Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, and Zn was 1.37, 2.79, 1.39, 2.48 and 3.51 mg/kg, respectively, in the roots of Vetiver grass. Clay minerals inhibited the translocation of some heavy metals. The addition of attapulgite improved the phytoremediation capacity of Vetiver for Ni, Cr, and Co, while bentonite improved Vetiver’s absorption of Cu and Zn. The translocation factor for Ni in one of the attapulgite treatments was 2, indicating that attapulgite improved the phytoextraction of Ni by Vetiver grass. Our results confirm that attapulgite at 2.5% ( w / w ) can successfully improve the phytostabilization of heavy metals by Vetiver grass. Indian mustard showed no significant metal uptake that could be detected by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), despite the addition of attapulgite and bentonite. This research contributes to the knowledge repository of suitable amendments that improve the phytoremediation properties of Vetiver grass.

Keywords: heavy metals; Indian mustard; phytoremediation; contaminated soil; Vetiver grass (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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