Assessment and Mitigation of Heavy Metals Uptake by Edible Vegetables Grown in a Turin Contaminated Soil Used as Vegetable Garden

In this study we evaluated the concentration of 22 elements, namely Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, Zn, and their uptake by edible plants in soils collected in a green urban area. The results highlighted a high yield of those heavy metals typical for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied sciences 2020-07, Vol.10 (13), p.4483
Main Authors: Gaggero, Elisa, Calza, Paola, Fabbri, Debora, Fusconi, Anna, Mucciarelli, Marco, Bordiglia, Giorgio, Abollino, Ornella, Malandrino, Mery
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural pollution
amendment
Barium
Brassica oleracea
Cadmium
Chromium
Cities
contaminated soil
edible plants
Flowers & plants
Gardens & gardening
Growth chambers
Heavy metals
Horticulture
Lactuca sativa
Lead
Loam soils
Magnesium
Manganese
Metals
Mitigation
Organic wastes
Pollutants
pollution
Roots
Sediment pollution
Soil amendment
Soil contamination
Soil improvement
Soil pollution
Translocation
Urban areas
Urban farming
urban gardens
Vegetables
Waste treatment
Zinc
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Summary:In this study we evaluated the concentration of 22 elements, namely Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, Zn, and their uptake by edible plants in soils collected in a green urban area. The results highlighted a high yield of those heavy metals typical for anthropic pollution, such as Pb, Zn, Cu, Ba and Co, likely due to the intensive vehicular traffic. The uptake of metals by edible plants was analyzed on two broadleaf plants, Lactuca sativa and Brassica oleracea, grown in this soil and in an uncontaminated Turin soil in a growth chamber with and without the addition of a soil improver, provided by a local Organic Waste Treatment Plant. The subsequent analysis of their aerial part and roots highlighted the absorption of the main potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by the vegetables grown in the contaminated soil, whereas their concentration was lower if cultivated in the comparison soil, which was free of pollutants. The use of a soil amendment did not decrease the uptake of PTEs by Lactuca sativa and Brassica oleracea, but it caused a strong reduction in their translocation from the roots to the edible part, which consisted of the aerial part.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app10134483