Abstract
The concentrations of uranium, thorium, barium, nickel, strontium and lead in the samples of the tailings and plant species collected from a uranium mill tailings repository in South China were analyzed. Then, the removal capability of a plant for a target element was assessed. It was found that Phragmites australis had the greatest removal capabilities for uranium (820 μg), thorium (103 μg) and lead (1,870 μg). Miscanthus floridulus had the greatest removal capabilities for barium (3,730 μg) and nickel (667 μg), and Parthenocissus quinquefolia had the greatest removal capability for strontium (3,920 μg). In this study, a novel coefficient, termed as phytoremediation factor (PF), was proposed, for the first time, to assess the potential of a plant to be used in phytoremediation of a target element contaminated soil. Phragmites australis has the highest PFs for uranium (16.6), thorium (8.68), barium (10.0) and lead (10.5). Miscanthus floridulus has the highest PF for Ni (25.0). Broussonetia papyrifera and Parthenocissus quinquefolia have the relatively high PFs for strontium (28.1 and 25.4, respectively). On the basis of the definition for a hyperaccumulator, only Cyperus iria and Parthenocissus quinquefolia satisfied the criteria for hyperaccumulator of uranium (36.4 μg/g) and strontium (190 μg/g), and could be the candidates for phytoremediation of uranium and strontium contaminated soils. The results show that the PF has advantage over the hyperaccumulator in reflecting the removal capabilities of a plant for a target element, and is more adequate for assessing the potential of a plant to be used in phytoremediation than conventional method.
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This research is supported by Scientific Research Foundation of Education Department (grant No. 10A103 and grant No. 10C1134) and Science and Technology Department (grant No. 2010GK2025) of Hunan Province.
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Li, Gy., Hu, N., Ding, Dx. et al. Screening of Plant Species for Phytoremediation of Uranium, Thorium, Barium, Nickel, Strontium and Lead Contaminated Soils from a Uranium Mill Tailings Repository in South China. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 86, 646–652 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-011-0291-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-011-0291-2