PW04 Phytoremediation
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Wednesday, 12 November 2003
(PW075) Effect of EDTA on the Mobilization, Uptake and Selectivity of Cadmium, Chromium, and Nickle during Phytoremediation with Helianthus Annuus.
Turgut, C1, Pepe, M2, Cutright, T.J.2, 1 University of Hohenheim, Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Stuttgart, Germany2 University of Akron, Dept. Civil Engineering, Akron, OH
ABSTRACT- Phytoremediation has shown great potential as an alternative treatment for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils and groundwater. However, the lack of a clear understanding pertaining to metal uptake/translocation mechanisms, enhancement amendments, and external effects on phytoremediation has hindered its full-scale application. The objective of this research was to investigate the ability of synthetic chelators for enhancing the phytoremediation of cadmium, chromium and nickel contaminated soil. A silty-sand soil representative of Northeast Ohio was used as the characteristic soil. EDTA was applied to the soil at dosages ranging from 0.1 - 3 g/Kg soil to elevate metal mobility. To evaluate the impact of soil type on EDTA's ability to mobilize metals, the 0.1 and 0.3 g EDTA/kg experiments were repeated with a sandy lean clay (New Mexico) and sitly sand (Colombia) soils. The results will reemphasize that chelator enhancement is plant- and metal-specific and is subjective to inhibition when multiple heavy metals are present. The paper will outline the impact of EDTA on metal bioavailability. The uptake into and translocation within Helianthus annuus will be presented for each EDTA-soil treatment.
Key words: heavy metals, phytoremediation, edta