Metal contamination of soils and plants associated with the glass industry in North Central India: prospects of phytoremediation

Abstract

Potential phytoextractors include Datura stramonium and Chenopodium murale while phytostabilizers include Calotropis procera and Gnaphalium luteo-album. Poa annua showed potential in both categories. None of the species showed phytoremedial potential for Co and Ni.

Metal Contamination of Soils and Prospects of Phytoremediation in and Around River Yamuna: A Case Study from North-Central India

“…No Cu, Cr and Ni contamination was observed. These results agree with the findings regarding metal contamination of soil due to the glass industry at Firozabad, India [29]. Of the nine elements studied, Zn, Cd, and As showed a greater accumulation in all soils, whereas, accumulation of Ni and Cu was high in limited samples.…”

“…Assessment of soil contamination was performed by the contamination index (P i ) and integrated contamination index (P c ) as expressed by fuzzy functions [82,29,28]. Class I criteria [60] could be used as no-polluted threshold; Class II as lowly polluted threshold value; and while Class III as highly polluted threshold value.…”

“…In zone 3, 76% and 24% samples were in the moderate and high contamination range, respectively. The effect of the glass industry on urban soil metal characterization was assessed at 25 test sites at Firozabad, India [29]. The area is characterized by little or no monitoring of industrial processes, usage and disposal of hazardous chemicals.…”

“…mines, industrial zones is naturally high in a particular metal, native plants will often become adapted over time to the locally elevated levels [28][29][30] and metal toxicity issues do not generally arise. Successful establishment and colonization of several pioneer plant species tolerant to Pb/Zn mine spoils has also been demonstrated with tolerant plants including Phragmites australis, Vetiveria zizanioides, and Sesbania rostrata [31,92].…”

“…Native plants often become adapted to locally elevated levels of metals in soil at contaminated sites, e.g. mines and industrial zones [28][29][30] and metal toxicity issues do not generally arise. Many native, well adapted plants have been investigated and even used for heavy metal bioindicatoring and phytoremedial purposes including lemongrass and other wild grasses, vetiver, Sesbania, Avena, Crotalaria, Crinum asiaticum, Typha latifolia and Calotropis procera etc.…”