This research involves the assessment of the major, minor, and trace elements contained in Mammoth sunflower seeds harvested from plants grown at Number Six Lake located in Franklin County, Alabama, location of one of the first iron ore mines in Alabama. The elemental content present in 10 sunflower seed samples, each comprised of 12 seeds per sample, was analyzed for 14 trace elements (Ag, As, Be, Ca, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, and V) using inductively-couple plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and a set of four standards, a blank, and one lake water sample. The sunflower seeds displayed higher levels of metal content ranging from 0.8 – 96.7 times greater than that of the Number Six Lake water sample, in the concentration order of Mn&lt;Cr&lt;Ag&lt;Cd&lt;Pb&lt;Be&lt;Ni&lt;Ti&lt;V&lt;Mo&lt;As&lt;Fe&lt;Mg&lt;Ca. Trace metal analysis (Fe, Cd, Cr, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, V, and Zn) of the soil samples obtained from the sunflower plant location along with the present data show that the Mammoth sunflower plants act as phytoremediators, hyperaccumulating trace elements from the surrounding soil and Number Six Lake water used to irrigate the sunflower plants.

Investigation of the hyperaccumulation ability of Mammoth sunflowers using ICP-OES

2019 Spring National Meeting

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