Model evaluation of the phytoextraction potential of heavy metal hyperaccumulators and non-hyperaccumulators

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2009-06, Vol.157 (6), p.1945-1952
• Main Authors: Liang, Hong-Ming, Lin, Ting-Hsiang, Chiou, Jeng-Min, Yeh, Kuo-Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis halleri; bioaccumulation; Bioconcentration factor; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biotechnology; Brassica juncea; cadmium; Cadmium - analysis; Cadmium - metabolism; Decontamination. Miscellaneous; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heavy metals; Hierarchical linear model; Hyperaccumulator; hyperaccumulators; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Industrial Waste; linear models; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Miscellaneous; Mustard Plant - metabolism; Nicotiana - metabolism; Nicotiana tabacum; Phytoextraction; phytoremediation; Plants - metabolism; polluted soils; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; regression analysis; Soil - analysis; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Pollutants - analysis; soil pollution; statistical models; Thlaspi - metabolism; Thlaspi caerulescens; zinc; Zinc - analysis; Zinc - metabolism
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2008.11.052

Evaluation of the remediation ability of zinc/cadmium in hyper- and non-hyperaccumulator plant species through greenhouse studies is limited. To bridge the gap between greenhouse studies and field applications for phytoextraction, we used published data to examine the partitioning of heavy metals between plants and soil (defined as the bioconcentration factor). We compared the remediation ability of the Zn/Cd hyperaccumulators Thlaspi caerulescens and Arabidopsis halleri and the non-hyperaccumulators Nicotiana tabacum and Brassica juncea using a hierarchical linear model (HLM). A recursive algorithm was then used to evaluate how many harvest cycles were required to clean a contaminated site to meet Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Despite the high bioconcentration factor of both hyperaccumulators, metal removal was still limited because of the plants' small biomass. Simulation with N. tabacum and the Cadmium model suggests further study and development of plants with high biomass and improved phytoextraction potential for use in environmental cleanup. A quantitative solution enables the evaluation of Zn/Cd phytoextraction.