Comparing heavy metal accumulation abilities in Artemisia aucheri and Astragalus gummifer in Darreh Zereshk region, Taft

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 TEnvironment Engineering Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

3 Department of Rehabilitation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

4 Department of Soil Science Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

5 Taft Copper Mine Project, National Iranian Copper Industries Company, Taft, Iran

6 Environmental Researcher, Research and Development, Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex, Rafsanjan, Iran

Abstract

Treatment of soils contaminated with heavy metals using plant species is a method which has been widely used in the
past. This method, which is known as phytoremediation, has been applied for pollution treatment using different plant
species worldwide. The method has been used for remediation of various types of pollutants in laboratory, pilot and
industrial scales. The aim of this study was to compare the capability of heavy metal accumulation in Artemisia aucheri
and Astragalus gummifer in the Darre Zereshk deserts located in Taft, Iran. Plant and soil samples were collected from
eight stations. After acid digestion, concentration of heavy metals was measured in plant tissues and rhizosphere soil using
an ICP-OES instrument. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) and translocation factors (TF) were calculated for each plant
species. The BCF and TF in A. aucheri were higher than in A. gummifer. Therefore, it is suggested that A. aucheri has
higher capabilities in removing metals from polluted soils and hence is a better option for phytoremediation purposes.
 

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