Accumulation of heavy metals by in vitro cultures of plants

Abstract

The aim of the project is to study heavy metals accumulation by the selected plants in both laboratory and field conditions. Within the experiments the aspen (Populus tremula x tremuloides), sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and corn (Zea mays) plants were studied. The reasons for this selection were: a fast growth of these plants, an accumulation capacity and an ability to survive in different types of soils. The study was carried out on the aspen plantlets grown in vitro. The plants were exposed to the aqueous solutions having concentrations 0.1 mM, 0.5 mM of Pb2+ or Ni2+, respectively. The accumulation capacity for aspen, was about 70% of Pb2+ originally present in the solution. The starting concentration of Pb2+ (0.5 mM) exhibited no negative impact on the growth. Besides in vitro expositions, a pilot-scale phytoremediation experiment was carried out at the polluted industrial area (Zn - 75000 mg/kg), (Pb - 16000 mg/kg), (Cr - 590 mg/kg), (Cd - 90 mg/kg) and (Cu - 1700 mg/kg). © 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.