The legacy of metal pollution is quite widespread within and the surroundings of vacant industrial sites deemed Brownfield Sites. At the majority of these sites, contaminates are capped with soil and/or overgrown with plants. The ability of plants to thrive and flourish in such environments allows for the development of phytoremediation technology. A survey of contaminated sites shows the growth of a number of fast growing plants while these species are physiologically stressed.  Surface stress can be visually seen in bleached and deformed leafs but belies the true nature of the root system. The growth of plants in artificial soil, transparent Crystal Clay® allows for the easy visualization of the developing root system in an increasing vertical concentration profile of heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Zn and Ni di-cations). This system has allowed us to model depth profile of the roots as it penetrates the gradient of increasing metal concentrations. The metal contaminates were then contrasted at the same concentration to their complexed forms with EDTA and more labile acetate ligand. Metal composition uptake in the leaves, stem and roots were found to be greater by ICP Mass Spectra for the complexed metals even at lower in situ concentrations.

Enhancement of phytoremediation through in situ metal chelation

251st National Meeting (2016)

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