Potential for the phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated mine tailings in Fiji

Abstract

The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the bioavailability of arsenic (As) to plants in an As-spiked agricultural soil and a naturally contaminated mine tailings, (2) to compare the theoretical ability of various chemical amendments to solubilise As in naturally contaminated mine tailings, and (3) to examine the ability of Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) plants to remove the solubilised As from the soil and tailings. The growth media used for this study included mine tailings from a gold mine in Fiji contaminated with As (683 As mg/kg) due to the presence of arsenopyrite in the mined rock, and a pasture soil from New Zealand (Manawatu sandy loam) amended with lime and/or As. Brassica juncea was grown in these substrates in a glasshouse. In a separate batch experiment, we examined the theoretical ability of several chemical extractants to solubilise As from the mine tailings. Of the tested extractants, only hydrochloric acid (HCl) and a mixture containing ammonium oxalate (NH4)2C2O4, oxalic acid, and ascorbic acid were effective in extracting As from the tailings. In the plant growth experiment, solutions of these 2 chemicals were used as soil amendments at 2 different concentrations to increase As uptake by 6-week-old, actively growing B. juncea plants. Arsenic bioavailability as a function of the growth media influenced the germination rate of B. juncea, the As concentration in the plants, and the water-soluble As concentration in the media. There was approximately a 3-fold reduction in the germination of seeds, and a 64- and 380-fold increase in As concentration in plant and soil solution, respectively, in the spiked Manawatu soil compared with the naturally contaminated Fiji mine tailings. The spiking of soil with As did not mimic naturally contaminated tailings in this experiment. The total amount of As taken up by B. juncea plants increased approximately 9 fold with the addition of the amendments. However, the phytoremediation capacity of B. juncea for As extraction in Fiji mine tailings was too low for efficient remediation even in the presence of solubilising chemicals.

Biochar in Co-Contaminated Soil Manipulates Arsenic Solubility and Microbiological Community Structure, and Promotes Organochlorine Degradation

“…Once cool each digest solution was filtered (Whatman 42C) and then made to a final volume of 100 mL with deionised water. To determine the water-extraction concentration of As in each soil, a modified version of the extraction described by Ko et al [ 43 ] was used. A sub sample of soil (2 g) was extracted with 20 mL of deionised water in a 25 mL polycarbonate extraction tube (16 hours) using an end-over-end rotating platform.…”

Ammonium thiosulphate enhanced phytoextraction from mercury contaminated soil – Results from a greenhouse study

“…Ko et al [37] found that Brassica juncea increased the concentration of plant-available As when grown on arsenopyrite gold mine tailings. Similarly, the exchangeable concentration of Cd, Cu and Pb in the rhizosphere of Echinochloa crus-galli grown with root exudates was greater than the control (without root exudates) [38].…”

Soil Factors Controlling Arsenic Availability forSilene vulgaris

“…The percentages of available As in ALC soil spiked with As are relatively greater than those usually found in soil contaminated for a long period by anthropogenic processes (0.02-3.8%; Wenzel et al 2001) or naturally contaminated tailings (Ko et al 2008). This is a normal behavior, because As rapidly becomes recalcitrant in soil with time (Lombi, Wenzel, and Sletten 1999).…”

“…In situ remediation methods have been focused on phytostabilization of contaminated areas with autocthonous species either unaided or with the addition of soil amendments that reduce mobility and bioavailability of metals and metalloids (Antonovics and Bradshaw 1970;Bleeker et al 2002;Brown et al 2005;Vázquez et al 2006;Ko et al 2008). The use of native species as food crops, or in xerogardening, revegetation, or phytoremediation, is of increasing interest because of their ability to adapt to adverse environmental conditions.…”