Chemically Catalyzed Phytoextraction for Sustainable Cleanup of Soil Lead Contamination in a Community Garden in Jersey City, New Jersey

Zhiming Zhang, Dibyendu Sarkar (), Frances Levy and Rupali Datta
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Zhiming Zhang: Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Dibyendu Sarkar: Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Frances Levy: Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Rupali Datta: Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Soil lead (Pb) contamination in Pb paint-contaminated homes is a serious health risk in urban areas. Phytoextraction is a green and sustainable technology for soil Pb remediation, but its efficiency depends on the geochemical partitioning of Pb in soil. Following successful laboratory, greenhouse, and panel experiments, a field study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of a chemically catalyzed phytoextraction model for Pb removal. A biodegradable chelating agent, ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) was applied during Pb phytoextraction by vetiver grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ) in a Pb-contaminated community garden in Jersey City, New Jersey. Results showed that soil Pb concentration was reduced from 1144 to 359 mg/kg in 3 years, despite ongoing Pb input to the field plots from a nearby construction site. EDDS was effective in converting non-plant-available forms of Pb (i.e., carbonate-bound, oxide-bound, and organic-bound forms) to plant-available forms (i.e., water-soluble and exchangeable forms). With EDDS application, vetiver roots accumulated 532, 231, and 401 mg/kg of Pb in Years 1, 2, and 3, respectively, which were higher than the values obtained without EDDS applications (228, 154, and 214 mg/kg). This field study demonstrated the effectiveness of a chemically catalyzed phytoextraction model for Pb removal from urban soils.

Keywords: soil lead contamination; lead phytoextraction; lead-based paint; biodegradable chelating agent; vetiver grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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