Journal of Environmental Biology

Effect of soil pH on As hyperaccumulation capacity in fern

species, Pityrogramma calomelanos

B.T. Kim Anh¹, D.D. Kim¹*, P. Kuschk², T.V. Tua¹, N.T. Hue¹?and N.N. Minh³

¹Institute of Environmental Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi-100 00, Vietnam

²UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, 04318, Germany

³Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Hanoi University of Science, Hanoi, 100 00, Vietnam ?

*Corresponding Author email : dangkim.iet@gmail.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

20 October 2011

Revised received:

29 March 2012

Re-revised received:

22 June 2012

Accepted:

28 August 2012

Abstract

Arsenic uptake by hyperaccumulator plant species depends on many different environmental factors. Soil pH is one of the most important factors due to its combined effect on both chemical and biological processes. In greenhouse experiment, the effect of pH (within the pH range 3.6 ? 8.9) on As uptake as well as biomass of Pityrogramma calomelanos was evaluated. The plants were grown in mining soil containing 645.6 mg As kg^-1?for 14 weeks. Within this time, the plant biomass growth was 3.78 ? 8.64 g d. wt. per plant and the removal amounted 6.3-18.4 mg As per plant. Translocation factor (ratio of As in fronds to roots) of the fern was 3.6 ? 9.7, indicating its potential in phytoremediation of As contaminated soil. Influence of pH on As bioavailability was visible as the available As concentration was higher in acidic soil compared to alkaline soil. Furthermore, it was found that As accumulation by Pityrogramma calomelanos was optimum in the soil of pH 3.6. Nevertheless, the results of this study demonstrate that remediation of As-contaminated mining soils, by this fern, can be improved by changing the soil pH from 4.6 to 6.8.

Key words

Arsenic, Hyperaccumulator, Soil, pH, Pityrogramma calomelanos

Copyright ? 2013 Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).