Document Type : Research Article
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Abstract
Phytoremediation is one of the lowest-cost methods for remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals. This study was conducted to investigate the phytoremediation potential of corn and canola, grown under single and mixed culture systems. Thus, a pot experiment was carried out on a calcareous soil contaminated by Pb and Zn. Treatments included single culture of corn, single culture of canola and mixed culture of corn and canola. Results showed that bioavailability of metals, lead, zinc, nickel and copper increased with decreasing soil pH and increasing DOC as influenced by root activity. Root uptake of metals; lead, zinc, copper and nickel in mixed culture, was more than that of in canola and lower than that of in corn. Zinc and nickel uptake by shoots of canola and mixed culture, were more than corn. Also, the results concerning the uptake of metals in the total biomass (sum of roots and shoots) showed uptake of copper and nickel in corn was more than mixed culture and it was more than canola while, uptake of lead and zinc in corn and mixed culture was more than canola. Also, the total yield of corn and canola in mixed culture increased. Therefore, it seems use of mixed culture system may extract metals, zinc and nickel more than corn, and copper more than canola, in single culture systems.
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