ANJALI S. NAIR, MACHIAVELLI SINGH1 AND BABITA KHOSLA
Department of Environmental Science, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak-124 001 (Haryana), India *(e-mail : babitakhosla@gmail.com; Mobile : 9991222344)
(Received : July 31, 2019; Accepted : September 22, 2019)
ABSTRACT
Soils polluted with heavy metals have become common across the globe due to increase in geologic and anthropogenic activities. Plants growing on these soils show a reduction in growth, performance and yield. Bioremediation is an effective method of treating heavy metal polluted soils. It is a widely accepted method that is mostly carried out in situ; hence, it is suitable for the establishment/reestablishment of crops on treated soils. Microorganisms and plants employ different mechanisms for the bioremediation of polluted soils. Using plants for the treatment of polluted soils called phytoremediation is a more common approach in the bioremediation of heavy metal polluted soils. Phytoremediation of contaminated sites supports the goal of sustainable development by helping to conserve soil as a resource, bringing soil back into beneficial use, preventing the spread of pollution to air and water and reducing the pressure for development on green or agricultural field. In this study, an assessment of phytoremediation of contaminated soil was done using hyper accumulator plant species Tegetes patula having ability to absorb and accumulate heavy metals (Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn). T. patula can hyper accumulate Fe in higher rates from the multi-metal contaminated soil nevertheless Cd and Zn were phytoextracted in lower amounts and there was no absorption of Ni and Cr.
Key words : Phytoremediation, ornamental plants, hyper accumulator, heavy metal pollution