Phytoremediation of heavy metals

Gyeongsang National University

Environmental Engineering Laboratory
Le Ngoc Thuan
** 김 투 안 **
 Overview

1. What are heavy metals?

2. Sources of heavy metal in the environment
3. Pollutants removal by Phytoremediation
4. Phytoremediation for heavy metal removal
5. Advantages and disadvantages of Phytoremediation
1. What are heavy metals?

A metal with a specific gravity greater than about 5.0, especially

one that is poisonous, such as lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr),
cadmium (Cd),…
They can damage living things at low concentrations and tend to
accumulate in the food chain
2. Sources of heavy metal in the environment
There are some main sources of heavy metal in the environment

Municipal and Industrial waste Sediment from wastewater treatment plant

Sources of heavy metal in the environment (cont.)

Leachate from solid waste treatment plant Mining waste

3. Pollutants removal by Phytoremediation

The use of plants to remove pollutants from contaminated

soils or water, base on ability of the uptake of contaminants
by special plants (hyperaccumulators). In this process there
is also combination of bacterial bioremediation.
Overview of Phytoremediation-Related Plant Activities
Types of Phytoremediation

Phytotransformation – uptake of contaminants from soil & groundwater by

plants and their subsequent transformation in roots, stems, and leaves
Rhizosphere Bioremediation – occurs in the root-zone; also known as
phytostimulation or plant-assisted bioremediation; results in increase of soil
organic carbon, and bacterial and fungal populations.
Phytostabilization – refers to holding of contaminated soils in place by
vegetation, and immobilization (physically orchemically) of contaminants
Phytoextraction – use of metal-accumulating plants that translocate metals
from the soil to their roots and concentrate the metals to aboveground stems
and leaves.
Rhizofiltration – use of plants to sorb, concentrate, and/or precipitate metal
contaminants from surface waters(treatment wetlands) or groundwater
4. Phytoremediation for heavy metal removal

 Plants, so called hyperaccumulators are usually used, they take up 100 times
the concentration of metals over other plants.
 Heavy metals are removed from soil by moving up into plant roots, stems, and
leaves.
 The plant is then harvested and disposed of and the site replanted until heavy
metals in the soil is lowered to acceptable levels.
How can heavy metals move into the cell?
Heavy metal accumulation by Indian Mustard Brassica juncea
 Brassica juncea: After
havested, average concentration of
lead from all the crops exceeded
1,000ppm
Thlaspi caerulescens was
shown to accumulate up to
26,000ppm while a regular plant
accumulates about 100 ppm
Several metal hyperaccumulator species and their
bioaccumulation potential.

Plant species Metal Leaf content (ppm) Reference

Reeves & Brooks (1983):
Thlaspi caerulescens Zn:Cd 39,600:1,800
Baker & Walker (1990

Ipomea alpina Cu 12,300 Baker & Walker (1990)

Haumaniastrum
Co 10,200 Brooks (1977)
robertii
Astragalus racemosus Se 14,900 Beath et al. (1937)

Sebertia acuminata Ni 25% by wt dried sap Jaffre et al. (1976)

Approximately 400 plant species from at least 45 plant families have been
reported to hyperaccumulate metals.
Phytoremediation using Cash Crops Phytoremediation using Poplars
Wild mustard plant for metals phytoextraction

Wild mustard plant will

hyperaccumulate nickel,
reaching shoot
concentrations as high
as 1.2%.
Considering Phytoremediation for Your Site
No

Yes
No

Yes
No

Yes
No

Yes
No

Yes
Additional Considerations

Infrastructure Requirements: need to be accessible to farm implements

(tractors with tilling/plowing, fertilizing, seeding, and harvesting equipment)
and sufficiently dry to allow for cultivation and avoiding waterlogged
conditions to support growth of plants.
Long-Term Remedy: the area will look like a restored wetland/upland area.
During active remediation, the area will look like a cultivated field.
Process Residuals Management: The harvested biomass will be analyzed
and disposed of according to its composition such as: processing for volume
reduction, composting, either land filling or incinerating in approved facilities.
Need for Long-Term Monitoring: Monitoring the technology’s performance
(removal rates) will be continuous until cleanup is complete and the site has
been restored.
5. Advantages and disadvantages of
Phytoremediation
Advantages
-In situ
-Low cost
-Well suited for use at very large field sites
-Transfer is faster than natural attenuation
-High public acceptance
-Fewer air and water emissions
-Soils remain in place and are usable following
treatment
- Compatible with engineered technologies
Disadvantages
- Long duration of time for remediation
- Not all compounds are susceptible to rapid and
complete degradation
- High concentrations of hazardous materials can be
toxic to plants
- Effective only for moderately hydrophobic
contaminants
- Toxicity and bioavailability of degradation products
is not known
- Potential for contaminants to enter food chain
through animal consumption
- Hyperaccumulators are often slow growers
- Need to dispose plant biomass
Review from:
1. Brian R. Shmaefsky: Heavy metal tolerant transgenic plant

2. Ray R. Hinchman et. al., Phytoremediation: Using green plants to clean

up contaminated soil, groundwater, and wastewater

3. Dang Thi An et. al., Evaluation of the water quality of the Nhue-To Lich
river system; utilization of biological indices and bioaccumulation.

4. Mitch M. Lasat: The Use of Plants for the Removal of Toxic Metals from
Contaminated Soil
Thank you for your attention!