Phytostabilization of Pb and Cd polluted soils using Helianthus petiolaris as pioneer aromatic plant species

SARAN, A.; FERNANDEZ, L.; CORA, F.; SAVIO, M.; THIJS, S.; VANGRONSVELD, J.; MERINI, L. J.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION

TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC

Año: 2019 vol. 22 p. 459 - 467

1522-6514

The area of soils polluted with heavy metals is increasing due to industrialization and globalization.Aromatic plant species can be a suitable alternative way for agricultural valorization and phytomanagementof such soils by the commercialization of essential oils avoiding risks for the foodchain. The potential of growing Helianthus petiolaris in heavy metal polluted soils was assessed inpot experiments using spiked soils and soils from a shooting range. In terms of phytostabilization,H. petiolaris could grow in soils containing 1000mg/kg Pb2þ, 50 mg/kg Cd2þ, accumulating morethan three times the soil Cd content in the aerial parts and translocating significant amounts ofPb to the aerial parts when growing in soils polluted with up to 500 mg/kg Pb.When phytostabilization is considered, phytotoxicity of heavy metals strongly depends on therhizospheric microbial communities, either by mitigating trace element phytotoxicity or promotingplant growth via phytohormone production. So, the effects of heavy metals on the diversity of therhizospheric bacterial community were assessed using DNA-fingerprinting.