Effect of Edta and (Nh4)2So4 on Removing Cadmium Using Alfalfa Raised in Compost



Ghobakhloo S¹ ; Yaghmaeian K² ; Mahvi A² ; Nabizadeh R² ; Dehghani MH² ; Ghaffari Y¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Published:2018

Abstract

Background and purpose: Nowadays, Presence of heavy metals such as cadmium in agricultural soils, is regarded as a serious threat to human health in recent years. Phytoremediation is a method by which heavy metal accumulate in plant tissues, hence elimination of these elements from contaminated soils would be possible. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of cadmium from soil-compost by alfalfa using EDTA and (NH4)2SO4. Materials and methods: The effect of changes on initial concentration of cadmium (10 to 200 mg of cadmium per kg of soil-compost) and the ratio of EDTA (5 to 15 mg per kg of soil-compost) to (NH4)2SO4 (200 mg per kg of soil-compost) on the removal of cadmium were investigated. Concentration of cadmium was determined by ICP. Analysis of data was performed in R software based on central composite design (CCD) model and SPSS. Results: The highest concentration of cadmium uptake was observed in the root of alfalfa. Application of EDTA in higher doses had significant effect on absorption in plant root (P< 0.05). Lower concentrations of EDTA (<10 mg/kg) considerably increased cadmium in aerial parts. Increase in EDTA dosage in highly contaminated soil, was effective in transmission of cadmium from soil-compost into the roots, but accumulation of cadmium did not have a considerable increase in areal parts of the alfalfa. Conclusion: Phytoremediation has proved to be effective in removing cadmium from agricultural soil. It is a safe, an eco-friendly technology, and requires inexpensive reagents. According to this investigation, adding (NH4)2SO4 with EDTA can be effective in improving Phytoremediation process. © 2018, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.