Comparing heavy metal accumulation abilities in Artemisia aucheri and Astragalus gummifer in Darreh Zereshk region, Taft

Treatment of soils contaminated with heavy metals using plant species is a method which has been widely used in the past. This method, which is known as phytoremediation, has been applied for pollution treatment using different plant species worldwide. The method has been used for remediation of various types of pollutants in laboratory, pilot and industrial scales. The aim of this study was to compare the capability of heavy metal accumulation in Artemisia aucheri and Astragalus gummifer in the Darre Zereshk deserts located in Taft, Iran. Plant and soil samples were collected from eight stations. After acid digestion, concentration of heavy metals was measured in plant tissues and rhizosphere soil using an ICP-OES instrument. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) and translocation factors (TF) were calculated for each plant species. The BCF and TF in A. aucheri were higher than in A. gummifer. Therefore, it is suggested that A. aucheri has higher capabilities in removing metals from polluted soils and hence is a better option for phytoremediation purposes.