Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using Safflower
The promotion and gradual replacement of fossil fuels with renewable sources increasing the competition between food and fuel. Therefore, energy crops could be produced on unproductive marginal land due to unfavorable conditions, such as limitations in nutrient and water availability or the presence...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/10/2302 |
| _version_ | 1797476200721940480 |
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| author | Barbara Rachele Ciaramella Sebastiano Andrea Corinzia Salvatore Luciano Cosentino Giorgio Testa |
| author_facet | Barbara Rachele Ciaramella Sebastiano Andrea Corinzia Salvatore Luciano Cosentino Giorgio Testa |
| author_sort | Barbara Rachele Ciaramella |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The promotion and gradual replacement of fossil fuels with renewable sources increasing the competition between food and fuel. Therefore, energy crops could be produced on unproductive marginal land due to unfavorable conditions, such as limitations in nutrient and water availability or the presence of contaminants such as hydrocarbons or heavy metals. In the case of soils contaminated with heavy metals, one option could be the use of plants to extract or immobilize the contaminants in the soil in a process called phytoremediation. <i>Carthamus tinctorius</i> L. is an annual herbaceous plant with a deep root system, and the oil extracted from the seeds is an excellent oil for conversion into biofuel. It appears suitable to be used in the phytoremediation process, increasing the opportunity to valorize polluted areas and reducing the risk of abandonment of these lands. In this study, <i>C. tinctorius</i> was tested in soils contaminated with zinc, cadmium, lead, and nickel at different concentrations to evaluate the effects on yield and heavy metal content in the different parts of the plant. The experiment highlights the tolerance of Safflower to the cultivation in heavy-metal-polluted soil; in fact, a low reduction in biomass yield was observed. Among the evaluated heavy metals, the higher susceptibility was observed at the highest concentrations of zinc and cadmium. Generally, safflower concentrates heavy metals in the belowground biomass. The relative low concentrations of heavy metals in some parts of the aboveground biomass could suggest the possibility of using it as a feedstock for bioenergy conversion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:54:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b60975452314258be0240e10b8a0342 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:54:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b60975452314258be0240e10b8a03422023-11-23T22:24:44ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-09-011210230210.3390/agronomy12102302Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using SafflowerBarbara Rachele Ciaramella0Sebastiano Andrea Corinzia1Salvatore Luciano Cosentino2Giorgio Testa3Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyThe promotion and gradual replacement of fossil fuels with renewable sources increasing the competition between food and fuel. Therefore, energy crops could be produced on unproductive marginal land due to unfavorable conditions, such as limitations in nutrient and water availability or the presence of contaminants such as hydrocarbons or heavy metals. In the case of soils contaminated with heavy metals, one option could be the use of plants to extract or immobilize the contaminants in the soil in a process called phytoremediation. <i>Carthamus tinctorius</i> L. is an annual herbaceous plant with a deep root system, and the oil extracted from the seeds is an excellent oil for conversion into biofuel. It appears suitable to be used in the phytoremediation process, increasing the opportunity to valorize polluted areas and reducing the risk of abandonment of these lands. In this study, <i>C. tinctorius</i> was tested in soils contaminated with zinc, cadmium, lead, and nickel at different concentrations to evaluate the effects on yield and heavy metal content in the different parts of the plant. The experiment highlights the tolerance of Safflower to the cultivation in heavy-metal-polluted soil; in fact, a low reduction in biomass yield was observed. Among the evaluated heavy metals, the higher susceptibility was observed at the highest concentrations of zinc and cadmium. Generally, safflower concentrates heavy metals in the belowground biomass. The relative low concentrations of heavy metals in some parts of the aboveground biomass could suggest the possibility of using it as a feedstock for bioenergy conversion.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/10/2302marginal landszinccadmiumnickellead |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Rachele Ciaramella Sebastiano Andrea Corinzia Salvatore Luciano Cosentino Giorgio Testa Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using Safflower Agronomy marginal lands zinc cadmium nickel lead |
| title | Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using Safflower |
| title_full | Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using Safflower |
| title_fullStr | Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using Safflower |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using Safflower |
| title_short | Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils Using Safflower |
| title_sort | phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils using safflower |
| topic | marginal lands zinc cadmium nickel lead |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/10/2302 |
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