Use of Ornamental Plant, “Vinca” (Vinca rosea L.) for Remediation of Lead-contaminated soil
By: Nusrat Ehsan, Rab Nawaz, Sajjad Ahmad, Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Umar Hayyat, Rashid Mahmood
Key Words: Soil Contamination, Soil Pollution, Heavy Metals, Phytoremediation.
J. Bio. Env. Sci. 8(3), 46-54, March 2016.
Phytoremediation potential of an ornamental plant, Vinca (Vinca rosea) was assessed for Lead- contaminated soil. Plants were grown in pots having soils with different levels of Pb contamination i.e. T1 (10 ppm), T2 (20 ppm), T3 (30 ppm), T4 (40 ppm), T5 (50 ppm), T6 (60 ppm), T7 (70 ppm), T8 (80 ppm) and T9 (90 ppm). Plants were also grown in pots with uncontaminated soil as control treatment (T0). After pot study (6 weeks), plants were harvested to measure different physical parameters and prepare plant samples for chemical analysis. Representative soil samples were collected from the pots for chemical analysis. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to measure concentration of Lead in plants and soil. The results indicated that plants were healthier and taller in lower Pb-concentration. The plant height and fresh weight decreased in higher contamination levels. The average uptake of Lead in Vinca increased with increased level of contamination. The remediation potential was higher than 1 in lower contamination level. While in higher contamination level it was low. It is concluded that Vinca plant can be used for extraction of Pb from less contaminated soil due to its aesthetic beauty and phytoremediation potential.