phyto-remediation for rehabilitation of agricultural land contaminated

Phyto-remediation for rehabilitation of agricultural land ... 17

1)Article in bahasa Indonesia has been published in Jurnal Tanahdan Iklim No. 30, 2009, p. 59-66.

ABSTRACT

Farmers in some areas in Indonesia use industrial waste watercontaminated by heavy metals to irrigate rice field. To overcomethe heavy metal contamination, improvement of agricultural landquality through phyto-remediation is needed. The study aimed toevaluate the ability of hyper-accumulator plants in remediatingrice field contaminated by cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) in aneffort to improve soil quality. The study was conducted in thescreen house of the Indonesian Agricultural Environment ResearchInstitute using a Randomized Block Design. Hyper-accumulatorplants used were T1: Fimbristylis globulosa, T2: Cyperus plastytylis,T3: Borreria laevis, T4: spinach (Amaranthus spp.), T5: mustard(Brassica juncea), T6: Scleria poaeformis, T7: Eleocharis dulcis,T8: Polygonum hydropiper, T9: Rhynchosphora corynbosa, andT10: Leperonia mucrunata. The results showed that Cd and Cucontents in Vertisols of Sambung Macan, Sragen, Central Javawere 1.18 and 31.38 ppm, respectively. All hyper-accumulatorplants could reduce Cd content in the soil after 2 months of planting(Duncan test level 5%). However, Cu content in the soil increasedsignificantly (Duncan test level 5%). L. mucrunata adsorbed thehighest Cu and significantly different compared with B. juncea. Cucontent in 2-month old Amaranthus spp. was higher than that ofother plants, but the highest Cu content was found in stems andleaves of B. laevis. Cd content in roots of B. laevis was the highestand significantly different with other plants. Cd content in roots ofR. corynbosa was also the highest, but not significantly differentwith that in other plants.

[Keywords: Agricultural land, environmental pollution, heavymetals, phyto-remediation]

INTRODUCTION

The change of agricultural land for industrial areas hasbecome the trigger of environmental pollution in agriculturalareas. Environmental pollution will lower the quality andquantity of agricultural products. Heavy metal conta-mination in agricultural land is a major world’s problemtoday. Heavy metal-specific issues in agriculturalenvironment are mainly due to the accumulation of heavymetals in the food chains. The increasing amount of heavymetals would potentially contaminate soil and water.

The presence of heavy metals in agricultural environ-ment would give negative impacts on all aspects of livingbeings. Heavy metal ions, such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb),cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) are harmful to humanhealth and the survival of life. Low concentrations of heavymetal ions could directly affect human health because theywill be accumulating in the food chains. As other envi-ronmental pollutants, heavy metals can be transferred tothe remote areas which then potentially disrupt the livesof biota and ultimately affect human health in a long periodalthough they live time and away from the main pollutionsources (Suhendrayatna 2001).

Kurnia (2007, unpubl.) stated that agriculturalenvironment pollution in some areas was occurred due tothe industrial development. Rice fields in Rancaekek,Bandung, West Java, for example, produced low grain yieldbecause the farmers used Cikijing river that had beencontaminated by textile industry waste as irrigation water.The use of waste water for irrigating rice field land alsooccurred in Karanganyar Village, Sambung Macan District,Sragen, Central Java. In this area, farmers use waste waterof textile industry continuously for irrigating rice field,especially in the dry season. The use of waste watercontinuously will lead to the accumulation of heavy metalsin the soil which then could contaminate the rice grainsproduced. Subowo et al. (1999) reported that heavy metalsreduced soil productivity and agricultural product quality.

Agricultural land contaminants can be reduced byapplying simple and inexpensive remediation techniques.One of the techniques to improve the quality of rice fieldcontaminated by heavy metals is phyto-remediation, i.e.planting a crop that has an ability to transport a variety ofpollutants or called as multiple uptake hyper-accumulatorplant.

Plants absorb ions from their environment through cellmembranes. Some factors affected ion absorption by plants,namely (1) plant ability to accumulate ions until a certainconcentration level, even greater than the level of ionconcentration in the growing media and (2) differences ofplants in nutrient needs. Plant root cells generally containa higher ion concentration than the growing medium. Fitter(1982) reported that ion uptake by roots correlated with

PHYTO-REMEDIATION FOR REHABILITATION OF AGRICULTURALLAND CONTAMINATED BY CADMIUM AND COPPER1)

N. Sutrisno Sa’ad, R. Artanti, and T. Dewi

Indonesian Agricultural Environment Research InstituteJalan Raya Jakenan, Jaken km 5, PO Box 5, Jaken, Pati 59182, Phone: +62 295 381592, Facs.: +62 295 381592

Email: [email protected]

Indonesian Journal of Agriculture 4(1), 2011: 17-21

18 N. Sutrisno Sa’ad et al.

ion concentration in the medium which corresponds withthe rate of reaction catalyzed by enzyme in the substrate.This suggests that the presence of barriers in the cellmembranes was only suitable for a specific ion. If ionconcentration in the substrates was high, the barrierswould be in the maximum rate until reaching the saturateduptake rate.

According to Glass (1999) in Lasat (2000), costs forimproving heavy metal contaminated soils using hyper-accumulator plants were cheaper than other treatments asit cut costs up to tenfold (Table 1). Kurnia et al. (2004)reported that F. globulosa reduced Cd and Cu contents inthe soil from 0.13 to 0.11 ppm and from 58 ppm to 50 ppm,respectively. Mustard (B. juncea) absorbs 55% Cd and98% Cu from the growing medium (Dushenkov et al. 1995in Mulyadi et al. 2007). The study aimed to remediate ricefield contaminated by Cd and Cu using plants that canabsorb these ions (phyto-remediation) in efforts torehabilitate and improve soil quality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Screen house experiment was conducted at the IndonesianAgricultural Environmental Research Institute in Pati,Central Java, in late July to September 2007. Determinationof hyper-accumulator plants used in this study was doneby selecting plants that can survive in heavy metalcontaminated soil. The selected plants represented weeds,plants that had economic value but could not be consumed,and plants that could be consumed.

Selection of agricultural land contaminated by heavymetals was conducted based on the highest Cd and Cucontents among the soil samples used. Soil samples weretaken from Karanganyar Village, Sambung Macan District,Sragen which was contaminated by textile industry wastewater. Soil sampling referred to a method developed byHadi (2005).

Soil analyses before treatment included soil physicaland chemical characteristics as well as Cd and Cu contentsmeasured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer(AAS). The results of soil analysis before treatment arepresented in Table 2. The soil had silty clay, low organic Cand N contents, very low total P, slightly acidic soil pH,and very high cation exchange capacity (CEC).

Rice was planted in pots containing 7.5 kg of soilcontaminated by Cd and Cu. Watering was given inaccordance with plant conditions.

The study arranged in Randomized Block Design withthree replications. Hyper-accumulator plants used were T1= Fimbristylis globulosa, T2 = Cyperus plastytylis, T3 =Borreria laevis, T4 = spinach (Amaranthus spp.), T5 =mustard (Brassica juncea), T6 = Scleria poaeformis, T7 =

Eleocharis dulcis, T8 = Polygonum hydropiper, T9 =Rhynchosphora corynbosa, and T10 = Leperoniamucrunata. Duncan multiple range test was used to analyzethe significant differences among treatments.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Plant Growth

Hyper-accumulator plant growth on Vertisols until the thirdmonth was shown in Figure 1. F. globulosa, C. plastytylis,B. laevis, spinach (Amaranthus spp.), and mustard (B.juncea) grew normally because the environment wassuitable to their ecosystem. S. poaeformis, E. dulcis, P.hydropiper, R. corynbosa, and L. mucrunata also grewnormally, although the environment was not suitable totheir requirement. Based on their performance, these plantscould be used in phyto-remediation to improve soil qualityby absorbing heavy metals from the soil.

Cd and Cu Contents in Vertisols Contaminatedby Waste Water

Cd and Cu contents in the soils before treatment were 1.18and 31.38 ppm, respectively. Duncan test results in Table 3

Table 1. Estimated costs of technology implementation forremediating heavy metal contaminated soils

Treatment Cost (USD/t) Additional cost

Vitrification 75 - 425 Long-term monitoringLand filling 100 - 500 Transportation/soil

digging/monitoringChemical treatment 100 - 500 Contaminant treatmentElectro-kinetic treatment 20 - 200 MonitoringPhyto-extraction 5 - 40 Monitoring

Table 2. Characteristics of Vertisols of Sambung Macan, Sragen,Central Java before planted with hyper-accumulator plants

Parameter Value

TextureSand (%) 17.80Silt (%) 56.75Clay (%) 25.46

pH 7.34Organic-C (%) 1.24Total-N (%) 0.14Total-P (mg/kg) 3.30CEC (cmolc/kg) 47.65Cd (ppm) 1.18Cu (ppm) 31.38


showed that the effect of hyper-accumulator plants onVertisols varied. The effect was not different for Cd, whilefor Cu, it was significantly different. However, Cd contenttended to decrease after the hyper-accumulator plants wereplanted for 2 months. L. mucrunata reduced the highestCd content in the soil (Figure 2). In contrast, Cu content inthe soil increased after 2 months (Figure 3). Increasing theCu content allegedly occurred as a result of root exudatesthat release Cu bond in the soil. This result was consistentwith that reported by Balingtan (2008) that root exudatesreleased Cu ions bounded in the soil so that increased theCu content in the soil. Planting hyper-accumulator plantsfor a long period could absorb high Cu from contaminated

Table 3. Effects of hyper-accumulator plants on Cd and Cuconcentrations in Vertisols of Sambung Macan, Sragen,Central Java, during two months

Plant Cd (ppm) Cu (ppm)

Fimbristylis globulosa 0.9133a 34.923abCyperus plastytylis 0.9467a 37.060abBorreria laevis 1.0167a 39.063abAmaranthus spp. 0.7033a 36.130abBrassica juncea 0.9900a 40.540aScleria poaeformis 0.8633a 36.753abEleocharis dulcis 1.0733a 37.237abPolygonum hydropiper 0.6467a 36.050abRhynchosphora corynbosa 1.0233a 34.843abLeperonia mucrunata 0.5733a 33.777b

CV (%) 35.4 9.3

Numbers in the same column followed by same letter are notsignificantly different at 5% DMRT.

Amaranth

us sp

p.

Fimbri

stylis

globu

losa

Cyperu

s plas

tytyli

s

Borreri

a lae

vis

Brassic

a jun

cea

Scleria

poae

formis

Eleoch

aris d

ulcis

Polygo

num hy

dropip

er

Rhync

hosp

hora

coryn

bosa

Lepe

ronia

mucrun

ata

Cu

conc

entra

tion

(ppm

)

5 0

Hyper-accumulator plants

353025201510

4540

Initial After 2 months

Figure 3. Comparison of Cu concentrations in Vertisols ofSambung Macan, Sragen, Central Java before andafter planting hyper-accumulator plants

Figure 1. Growth of hyper-accumulator plants in Vertisols ofSambung Macan, Sragen, Central Java

Month 1Month 2Month 3

100

Pla

nt h

eigh

t (cm

)

908070605040302010 0


Amaranth

us sp

p.

Fimbri

stylis

globu

losa

Cyperu

s plas

tytyli

s

Borreri

a lae

vis

Brassic

a jun

cea

Scleria

poae

formis

Eleoch

aris d

ulcis

Polygo

num hy

dropip

er

Rhync

hosp

hora

coryn

bosa

Lepe

ronia

mucrun

ata

1.4

Cd

(ppm

)

1.2

0.80.60.40.2 0


1

Initial After 2 months

Figure 2. Comparison of Cd concentrations in Vertisols ofSambung Macan, Sragen, Central Java before andafter treated with hyper-accumulator plants

Amaranth

us sp

p.

Fimbri

stylis

globu

losa

Cyperu

s plas

tytyli

s

Borreri

a lae

vis

Brassic

a jun

cea

Scleria

poae

formis

Eleoch

aris d

ulcis

Polygo

num hy

dropip

er

Rhync

hosp

hora

coryn

bosa

Lepe

ronia

mucrun

ata

soil. In other words, planting hyper-accumulator plantsfor 2 months would be uneffective. Three periods ofplanting were sufficient for the plants to absorb Cu fromthe soil so that the soil was safe for planting rice.

The mobile characteristics of Cd also determined itsabsorption by hyper-accumulator plants. Alloway (1995)stated that factors controlling the accumulation of Cd andCu in plants were concentration and type of ions in thesoil solution, ion movement from soil to root surface, iontransport from roots to root surface, and ion translocationfrom roots to plant canopy. Cd is mobile in the soil so thatthe ion is easier absorbed by hyper-accumulator plantscompared with Cu.

20 N. Sutrisno Sa’ad et al.

4. Rhyzodegradation, also called enhanced rhyzospherebiodegradation or plented-assisted bioremediationdegradation, i.e. the decomposition of contaminantsby microbes around the roots.

5. Phyto-degradation (phyto-transformation), a processin which plants decompose contaminants that havecomplex molecule chains into harmless materials withmore simple molecule structure that is useful for plantgrowth. This process is occurred in leaves, stems, rootsor root areas and supported by enzymes released bythe plant itself. Some plants release chemical enzymeto speed up the degradation process.Plants absorbed nutrients and metals from soil through

their roots and then carrying it into the stems and leaves.In this study the heavy metal contents in stems and leaveswere higher than that in the roots. This showed that fortwo months after planting, hyper-accumulator plants wereable to optimally translocate the heavy metals from rootsto stems and leaves.

Cd and Cu Contents in Stems and Leaves ofHyper-Accumulator Plants

Cd and Cu contents in stems and leaves at 2 months afterplanting varied (Table 4). Spinach (Amaranthus spp.) hadthe highest Cd content compared with other plants,showing that the plant absorbed highest Cd from soil andthen stored in stems and leaves. This result was inaccordance with that reported by Notohadiprawiro (2006)that dicot plants (spinach) had higher potentials inabsorbing heavy metals from soils compared with monocotplants. The high ability of spinach to absorb Cd from soilshowed that the crop is a good hyper-accumulator so thatit requires our attention in consuming this vegetable.

Cu contents in stems and leaves were not significantlydifferent. B. laevis absorbed higher Cu and stored it instems and leaves as compared with other plants. High Cuaccumulation in stems and leaves was among other causedby the physiological functions of leaves which neednutrients and metals simultaneously. Immobile propertiesof Cu also caused its high accumulation in stems and leaves.According to Suwondo et al. (2005), chloroplastaccumulated more than 50% Cu compared with other planttissues. Agustina (2004) in Suwondo et al. (2005) also statedthat Cu was needed by plants for metabolic processes,such as electron transfer in photosynthesis, cofactor ofseveral enzymes, and chlorophyll formation.

Cd and Cu Contents in Roots ofHyper-Accumulator Plants

Table 5 showed that Cd and Cu contents in hyper-accumulator plant roots varied after 2 months of planting.B. laevis had the highest Cd content compared with otherplants. This indicated that B. laevis absorbed more Cdfrom soil and stored it in roots. In contrast, R. corynbosaabsorbed higher Cu compared with other plants.

The following processes explain the role of roots inabsorbing heavy metals from the soils. According to Saltet al. (1995) in Suresh and Ravishankar (2004), a series ofprocesses is in roots which involve pollutants from theirenvironment are:1. Phyto-accumulation (phyto-extraction), the process of

accumulating contaminants from the growing media inroots. The process is also called hyper-accumulation.

2. Rhizo-filtration (rhizo-root), the process of adsorptionor deposition of contaminant substances by roots toattach to the roots.

3. Phyto-stabilization, the attachment of certaincontaminants in the roots that cannot be absorbed intothe stem. These substances are closely attached(stable) on the roots so it will not be carried away bythe flow of water in the media.

Table 4. Cd and Cu contents leaf and branch of hyper-accumulatorplants after two month treatment


Fimbristylis globulosa 0.15167d 64.84eCyperus plastytylis 0.29700c 97.11cdBorreria laevis 0.01000e 190.61aAmaranthus spp. 0.45500a 44.27eBrassica juncea 0.36333bc 73.48edScleria poaeformis 0.36933bc 122.08bcEleocharis dulcis 0.10733d 153.34bPolygonum hydropiper 0.36867bc 129.03bRhynchosphora corynbosa 0.00000e 139.11bLeperonia mucrunata 0.41133ab 53.32e

CV (%) 16.5 15.9


Table 5. Cd and Cu contents in root of hyper-accumulator plantsafter two month treatment


Fimbristylis globulosa 0.08667ef 17.47abCyperus plastytylis 0.21667bcd 17.05abBorreria laevis 0.36000a 7.52abAmaranthus spp. 0.24000b 8.95abBrassica juncea 0.00667f 0.57bScleria poaeformis 0.10333def 9.79abEleocharis dulcis 0.13667bcde 22.01abPolygonum hydropiper 0.23000bc 14.83abRhynchosphora corynbosa 0.19667bcde 31.68aLeperonia mucrunata 0.11333cdef 9.83ab

CV (%) 38.7 95.6



CONCLUSION

Phyto-remediation plants showed a good performance inCu and Cd contaminated Alfisols and served as a Cdabsorber, but they unfunctioned well in absorbing Cu attwo months after planting. Phyto-remediation plants grownon Vertisols contaminated by Cd decreased Cd contentafter two months, but Cu content increased. Cu contentsin stems and leaves of spinach were the highest at 2 monthsafter planting, and Cu contents in stems and leaves of B.laevis were the highest. Cd content in B. laevis roots wasthe highest and R. corynbosa roots showed the highestcontent of Cu. Phyto-remediation for 2 months improvedrice field soil contaminated by Cd. Further study is neededregarding the appropriate time of Cd and Cu uptake byphyto-remediation plants and after three times of plantingthe phyto-remediation plants, rice is safe for consumption.

REFERENCES

Alloway, B.J. 1995. Heavy Metals in Soils. Blackie and Son Ltd.,London.

Balingtan (Balai Penelitian Lingkungan Pertanian). 2008. Fito-remediasi Lahan Pertanian Tercemar Limbah Industri danPertambangan. Laporan Akhir Penelitan TA 2007. Balingtan,Jakenan, Pati.

Fitter. 1982. Fisiologi Lingkungan Tanaman. Gadjah Mada Univ.Press, Yogyakarta.

Hadi, A. 2005. Prinsip Pengelolaan Pengambilan Contoh Ling-kungan. Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta.

Lasat, M.M. 2000. Phytoextraction of metals from contaminatedsoil: A review of plant/soil/metal interaction and assessment ofpertinent agronomic issues. J. Hazar. Subst. Res. 2: 1-26.

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Subowo, E. Tuberkih, A.M. Kurniawansyah, dan I. Nasution. 1999.Identifikasi dan pencemaran kadmium (Cd) untuk padi gogo.hlm. 105-123. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Sumber Daya Lahan.Pusat Penelitian Tanah dan Agroklimat, Bogor.

Suhendrayatna. 2001. Bioremoval logam berat dengan menggu-nakan mikroorganisme: Suatu kajian kepustakaan. Seminar On-Air Bioteknologi untuk Indonesia Abad 21, 1-14 Februari 2001.

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Suwondo, Y. Fauziah, Syafrianti, dan S. Wariyanti. 2005. Akumulasilogam cuprum (Cu) dan zincum (Zn) di perairan Sungai Siakdengan menggunakan bioakumulator eceng gondok (Eichhorniacrassipes). Jurnal Biogenesis 1(2): 51-66.

phyto-remediation for rehabilitation of agricultural land contaminated

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