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Complementarity of three distinctive phytoremediation crops for multiple-trace element contaminated soil
Dominic Desjardins1, Nicholas J B Brereton1, Lilian Marchand2
1Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada.
The Science of the Total Environment
|September 7, 2017
Summary
Planting diverse species mixtures enhances the remediation of trace element (TE) contaminated land. Co-cropping Festuca arundinacea, Medicago sativa, and Salix miyabeana offers a robust strategy for managing multiple soil contaminants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Agronomy
- Phytoremediation
Background:
- Trace element (TE) contamination poses global environmental and health risks.
- Multiple TEs in soil challenge conventional plant-based remediation.
- Functional complementarity in plant assemblages may improve remediation of diverse TE-contaminated soils.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of monocultures and polycultures of Festuca arundinacea (F), Medicago sativa (M), and Salix miyabeana (S) for phytoremediation of aged, multi-TE contaminated soil.
- To assess biomass yields, root surface area (RSA), and TE accumulation in different plant combinations.
- To determine the optimal species assemblage for robust remediation of diverse TE-contaminated land.
Main Methods:
- Monocultures and polycultures (F+M, F+S, F+M+S) were grown for 4 months in soil contaminated with Ag, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Se, and Zn.
- Above and belowground biomass, root surface area (RSA), and TE concentrations in plant tissues were measured.
- Functional complementarity and facilitative interactions among species were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Individual species showed varying strengths: S. miyabeana for aboveground biomass, M. sativa for belowground biomass, and F. arundinacea for RSA.
- Polycultures (F+M, F+S, F+M+S) generally yielded higher values across all measured traits.
- F. arundinacea-based combinations (F and F+S) showed high TE accumulation in belowground tissues.
- The F+M+S polyculture demonstrated the most robust overall performance for multiple TE remediation, considering biomass, TE uptake, and nitrogen availability.
Conclusions:
- Species assemblages exhibit functional complementarity, enhancing phytoremediation of multi-TE contaminated soils.
- While monocultures may be effective for specific TEs, polycultures offer a more comprehensive approach.
- Co-cropping F. arundinacea, M. sativa, and S. miyabeana presents a promising, robust strategy for large-scale phytomanagement of diverse contaminated land.