Affiliation:
1. National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-Environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
2. Guangdong Experimental High School, Guangzhou 510650, China
3. Shenzhen Shentai Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518045, China
4. Yunnan Research Academy of Eco-Environment Science, Kunming 650034, China
Abstract
Phytoremediation, an ecological approach aimed at addressing polymetal(loid)lic-contaminated mining soils, has encountered adaptability challenges. Dominant plant species, well-suited to the local conditions, have emerged as promising candidates for this purpose. This study focused on assessing the phytoremediation potential of ten plant species that thrived in heavy metal(loid)-contaminated mining soils. This investigation covered nine heavy metal(loid)s (As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn) in both plants and rhizosphere soils. The results revealed a significant impact of mining activities, with heavy metal(loid) concentrations surpassing the Yunnan Province’s background levels by 1.06 to 362 times, highlighting a significant concern for remediation. The average levels of the heavy metal(loid)s followed the order of As (3.98 × 103 mg kg−1) > Cu (2.83 × 103 mg kg−1) > Zn (815 mg kg−1) > Sn (176 mg kg−1) > Pb (169 mg kg−1) > Cr (68.1 mg kg−1) > Ni (36.2 mg kg−1) > Cd (0.120 mg kg−1) > Hg (0.0390 mg kg−1). The bioconcentration factors (BCFs), bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), and translocation factors (TFs) varied among the native plants, indicating diverse adaptation strategies. Low BCFs and BAFs (ranging from 0.0183 to 0.418 and 0.0114 to 0.556, respectively) suggested a low bioavailability of heavy metal(loid)s. Among the species, both J. effusus and P. capitata showed remarkable abilities for As accumulation, while A. adenophora demonstrated a notable accumulation ability for various heavy metal(loid)s, especially Cd, with relatively high BCFs (1.88) and BAFs (3.11), and the TF at 1.66 further underscored the crucial role of translocation in preventing root toxicity. These findings emphasized the potential of these plant species in mine ecological restoration and phytoremediation, guiding targeted environmental rehabilitation strategies.
Funder
Key Technologies Research and Demonstration Project for Soil Remediation,Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology