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Heavy metal accumulation and phytostabilization potential of dominant plant species growing on manganese mine tailings

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Abstract

Screening plants that are hypertolerant to and excluders of certain heavy metals plays a fundamental role in a remediation strategy for metalliferous mine tailings. A field survey of terrestrial higher plants growing on Mn mine tailings at Huayuan, Hunan Province, China was conducted to identify candidate species for application in phytostabilization of the tailings in this region. In total, 51 species belonging to 21 families were recorded and the 12 dominant plants were investigated for their potential in phytostabilization of heavy metals. Eight plant species, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Artemisia princeps, Bidens frondosa, Bidens pilosa, Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria sanguinalis, Erigeron canadensis, and Setaria plicata accumulated much lower concentrations of heavy metals in shoots and roots than the associated soils and bioconcentration factors (BFs) for Cd, Mn, Pb and Zn were all < 1, demonstrating a high tolerance to heavy metals and poor metals translocation ability. The field investigation also found that these species grew fast, accumulated biomass rapidly and developed a vegetation cover in a relatively short time. Therefore, they are good candidates for phytostabilization purposes and could be used as pioneer species in phytoremediation of Mn mine tailings in this region of South China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Bio-resources and Environmental Science and Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization, Jishou University, Jishou, 416000, China

    Shengxiang Yang, Langbo Yi, Yifeng Guo & Yu Zhou

  2. Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education of China, Guilin, 541000, China

    Shengxiang Yang & Shichu Liang

  3. College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China

    Shengxiang Yang & Bibo Xu

  4. Huayuan Environmental Protection Bureau, Huayuan, 416000, China

    Jianbing Cao

Authors
  1. Shengxiang Yang
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  2. Shichu Liang
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  3. Langbo Yi
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  4. Bibo Xu
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  6. Yifeng Guo
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  7. Yu Zhou
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Correspondence to Shichu Liang.

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Yang, S., Liang, S., Yi, L. et al. Heavy metal accumulation and phytostabilization potential of dominant plant species growing on manganese mine tailings. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 8, 394–404 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-013-0602-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-013-0602-4

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