Phytoextraction: The Use of Plants To Remove Heavy Metals from Soils

TLDR: The high metal accumulation by some cultivars of B. juncea suggests that these plants may be used to clean up toxic metal-contaminated sites in a process termed phytoextraction.

Abstract: A small number of wild plants which grow on metal contaminated soil accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in their roots and shoots This property may be exploited for soil reclamation if an easily cultivated, high biomass crop plant able to accumulate heavy metals is identified Therefore, the ability of various crop plants to accumulate Pb in shoots and roots was compared While all crop Brassicas tested accumulated Pb, some cultivars of Brassica juncea (L) Czern showed a strong ability to accumulate Pb in roots and to transport Pb to the shoots (1083 mg Pb/g DW in the roots and 345 mg Pb/g DW in the shoots) B juncea was also able to concentrate Cr{sup -6}, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu in the shoots 58, 52, 31, 17, and 7 fold, respectively, from a substrate containing sulfates and phosphates as fertilizers The high metal accumulation by some cultivars of B juncea suggests that these plants may be used to clean up toxic metal-contaminated sites in a process termed phytoextraction