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HYPERACCUMULATORS OF HEAVY METALS OF INDUSTRIAL AREAS OF ISLAMABAD AND RAWALPINDI
ASHFAQ NAZIR1,
RIFFAT NASEEM MALIK 1, MUHAMAMD AJAIB2, NASRULLAH
KHAN3 AND MUHAMMAD FAHEEM
SIDDIQUI3
Abstract:
Contamination of heavy metals is one of the major threats to water and
soil as well as human health. Phytoremediation has been used to
remediate metal-contaminated sites. This study evaluated the potential
of 23 plant species growing on contaminated sites in Industrial areas of
the Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Plant root, shoot and the soil samples
were collected and analyzed for selected metal concentration values. To
evaluate the potential of plant species for phytoremediation:
Bioconcentration Factor (BCF), Biological Accumulation Coefficient (BAC)
and Biological Transfer Coefficient (BCF) were calculated. The
concentration of Pb in soils varied from 2-29 mg/kg, Zn from
28.82-172.56 mg/ kg, Cu from 8.88-306 mg/kg, respectively. The
concentration of Pb in plant shoots varied from 1.0 to 39 mg/kg, Zn from
17.25 to 194.03 mg/kg, Cu from 0.65 to 171.83 mg/kg. The concentration
of Pb in roots of plant varied 1-43 mg/kg, Zn from 3.34-116.16 mg/kg, Cu
from 3.35- 416.89 mg/kg. Brachiaria raptans and
Malvastrum coromandelianum
were found most suitable for phytostabilization of sites contaminated
with Pb and Cu (BCF= 18 and 9.12). Considering the BAC values, 15
species for Pb, two species for Cu, five species for Zn possessed the
characteristics of hyperaccumulator, none of the plant species was found
as hyperaccumulator; however plants with high BCF (metal concentration
ratio of plant root to soil) and low BTC (metal concentration ratio of
plants shoots to roots) have the potential for phytostabilization and
phytoextraction. The results of this study can be used for management
and decontamination of soils with heavy metals using plant species
having phytoremediation potential/characteristics.
1Environmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biological Sciences
Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad
2Department
of Botany, GC University Lahore, Pakistan
3Department
of Botany, Federal Urdu University Karachi, Pakistan
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