Dandelion is a strong detoxifying weed found worldwide. This plant is used as greens in salads, medicinally in herbal remedies and as a heavy metal soil bio-indicator. Dandelion has a unique ability to draw out toxins through natural processes. An inquiry was to verify dandelion root absorbent levels of heavy metals in an aqueous solution. The possibility to utilize this plant as an alternative method to remove heavy metals from wastewater shows promise. A supplemental capsule of dandelion root was measured, placed in heavy metal solution, agitated, centrifuged, and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. This experiment through exposure time and maximum capacity demonstrated reduced levels for Pb, Cu2+ and Cr. Groundwork from this preliminary data furnished further experimentation on the absorbance of dandelion root.

Heavy metal absorbance with dandelion root

246th National Meeting (2013)

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