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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
12:03
Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil
Published on: September 1, 2020
Metal comparison based on field investigation reveals lithium phytoaccumulation patterns
Zhinan Xu1, Kecen Zhou1, Si Peng1
1Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|August 6, 2026
Summary
Lithium contamination is a growing concern. This study reveals plants, like Erigeron canadensis, accumulate significantly more lithium than other metals, especially near lithium facilities.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Plant Biology
Background:
- Lithium is an emerging environmental contaminant.
- Limited understanding of plant lithium accumulation and its comparison to other metals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify lithium phytoaccumulation patterns.
- To compare lithium accumulation in plants with that of copper, lead, and zinc.
- To investigate lithium contamination sources related to the lithium industry.
Main Methods:
- Field investigation across five sampling plots.
- Analysis of 23 soil and plant samples and 3 soil-only samples.
- Phytoindication and multi-metal comparison using Erigeron canadensis.
Main Results:
- Lithium content in Erigeron canadensis tissues was significantly higher in contaminated areas.
- Lithium accumulation exceeded that of copper, lead, and zinc.
- Plant tissues showed much higher phytoaccumulation intensity for lithium compared to other metals.
- Lithium contamination was spatially aggregated around a lithium salt factory.
Conclusions:
- Plants exhibit distinct lithium phytoaccumulation patterns.
- The study provides a method for monitoring lithium contamination from industrial sources.
- Findings are relevant to the global lithium cycle and battery industry.
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