[Cadmium and zinc absorption and distribution in various tree species in a mining area]

The study on the characteristics of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) absorption and distribution in 11 tree species in a mining area of Nanjing showed that the absorption and accumulation of test heavy metals differed with tree species, their organs, and heavy metals themselves. Among the test tree species, Viburnum awabuki had the highest Cd absorption, accumulation, and translocation rates, which could be used for the remediation of polluted soils via phytoextraction. Cd was mainly accumulated in tree roots, and its accumulation in tree organs was generally in the order of root > leaf and shoot > bark > stem. Zn was generally accumulated in above-ground part, such as in leaf and shoot, but not in root. For the test 11 tree species, the accumulation coefficients of Cd and Zn were all less than 0.2, while the translocation coefficients differed markedly, with that of Zn being higher than that of Cd in general.