Abstract
Among green technologies addressed to metal pollution, phytoextraction has received increasing attention in recent years as an alternative to physical and chemical methods of decontamination. Since 1998, as part of an Italian multidisciplinary research team on phytoremediation, we have been carrying out several agronomic investigations with field crops in agricultural soil and pyrite waste, both markedly contaminated by heavy metals. Phytoextraction was rarely an efficient process, requiring a long time even to remove merely the bioavailable metal fraction, but the great metal stock in roots suggests exploring the effectiveness of long-term in planta stabilisation. Poor above-ground productivity was the main factor constraining metal removals, especially in wastes. Without assisting the process, only zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) were harvested by the canopy in substantial amounts, with an estimated maximum of ~8 kg of metals from an hectare base with rapeseed in the agricultural soil and only 0.33 kg with fodder radish in pyrite waste. Root growth was a key trait in species and genotype selection, in view of the close relationship between root length and metal uptake. The auxins, humic acids and chelators tested on the model plant fodder radish generally increased metal concentrations in plant tissues, but reduced growth and removals. It is currently concluded that phytoremediation efficiency with crop species may be improved through increased productivity by suitable soil management, involving mineral and organic fertilisation, contaminant dilution, soil capping, and metal immobilisation with inorganics and biochar.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Phytoextraction of field crops was rarely an efficient process and required a long time even to remove the bioavailable metal fraction.
Verbatim
e2“we have been carrying out several agronomic investigations with field crops in agricultural soil and pyrite waste”
e3“Phytoextraction was rarely an efficient process, requiring a long time even to remove merely the bioavailable metal fraction”
Claim · model-written summary
Without assistance, only zinc, manganese and copper were harvested by the canopy of field crops in substantial amounts.
Verbatim
e2“we have been carrying out several agronomic investigations with field crops in agricultural soil and pyrite waste”
e5“Without assisting the process, only zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) were harvested by the canopy in substantial amounts”
Claim · model-written summary
Rapeseed in the agricultural soil had an estimated maximum removal of about 8 kg of metals per hectare.
Verbatim
e4“an estimated maximum of ~8 kg of metals from an hectare base with rapeseed in the agricultural soil and only 0.33 kg with fodder radish in pyrite waste”
Claim · model-written summary
Fodder radish in pyrite waste removed only 0.33 kg of metals per hectare.
Verbatim
e4“an estimated maximum of ~8 kg of metals from an hectare base with rapeseed in the agricultural soil and only 0.33 kg with fodder radish in pyrite waste”
Claim · model-written summary
Poor above-ground productivity was the main factor constraining metal removals by field crops, especially in wastes.
Verbatim
e2“we have been carrying out several agronomic investigations with field crops in agricultural soil and pyrite waste”
e6“Poor above-ground productivity was the main factor constraining metal removals, especially in wastes”
Claim · model-written summary
Root length and metal uptake by field crops had a close relationship.
Verbatim
e2“we have been carrying out several agronomic investigations with field crops in agricultural soil and pyrite waste”
e7“Root growth was a key trait in species and genotype selection, in view of the close relationship between root length and metal uptake”
Claim · model-written summary
Root growth was a key trait in the selection of field crop species and genotypes.
Verbatim
e2“we have been carrying out several agronomic investigations with field crops in agricultural soil and pyrite waste”
e7“Root growth was a key trait in species and genotype selection, in view of the close relationship between root length and metal uptake”
Claim · model-written summary
Auxins, humic acids and chelators increased metal concentrations in fodder radish tissues.
- Taxon
- fodder radishe1
- Treatment
- auxins, humic acids and chelatorse1
- Outcome
- metal concentrations in plant tissuese1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e1“The auxins, humic acids and chelators tested on the model plant fodder radish generally increased metal concentrations in plant tissues, but reduced growth and removals”
Claim · model-written summary
Auxins, humic acids and chelators reduced growth of fodder radish.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e1“The auxins, humic acids and chelators tested on the model plant fodder radish generally increased metal concentrations in plant tissues, but reduced growth and removals”
Claim · model-written summary
Auxins, humic acids and chelators reduced metal removals by fodder radish.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e1“The auxins, humic acids and chelators tested on the model plant fodder radish generally increased metal concentrations in plant tissues, but reduced growth and removals”
Claim · model-written summary
Phytoremediation efficiency with crop species may be improved through increased productivity by suitable soil management, including fertilisation, contaminant dilution, soil capping and metal immobilisation.
Verbatim
e1“phytoremediation efficiency with crop species may be improved through increased productivity by suitable soil management, involving mineral and organic fertilisation, contaminant dilution, soil capping, and metal immobilisation with inorganics and biochar”
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