Phytoremediation potential of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) for Cr-polluted soil

Abstract

Experiments in natural conditions were conducted to evaluate the remediation potential of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) for soil polluted by chromium. The switchgrass was planted in the soil with 131.25, 162.5, 225, 350, 600 mg/kg Cr, respectively. After 40 days, the plant was sampled and its Cr concentration was measured. The results showed that physiological indices and plant biomass have no significant difference between the control and the treatments with low concentration of Cr (<;350 mg/kg), which indicates that switchgrass has high tolerance to Cr. The concentration of Cr in shoots and roots all increased with the increasing Cr concentration in soil. The highest accumulation of Cr in plants reached 1543.8 mg/pot. For heavy Cr-polluted soil (600 mg/kg), the Cr concentration in roots was 872.5 mg/kg. It implies that the root of switchgrass has great ability to uptake Cr from polluted soil. From above results, It is speculated that switchgrass has great potential for phytoremediation of Cr-polluted soil.