Investigating the Phytoremedial Potential of tree Species in Polluted Soils to Lead and Cadmium in Tehran City

Phytoremedial is an emerging cost-effect and green technology in which screening plant species for growing in weathered conditions is of utmost importance. This study was carried out to investigate the refinement level of lead and Cadmium in polluted soils with tree species such as Pine (Pinus Eldarica Medw.), Cypress (Cupressus arizonica Greene.), Locust tree (Robinia peseudoacacia L.), Ash (Fraxinus rotundifolia Mill.) and Elm tree (Ulmus carpinifolia var umbraculifera Rehd.) in Tehran City. For this purpose in summer 2011 in polluted and controlled sites, Considering the main wind direction, one transect is selected and sampling from leaves and surface root was done with statistical method in completely randomized plot design repeated three times. Then lead and Cadmium content density in each sample was determined by Atomic absorption instrument model Perkin-Elmer 3030. Results indicated that the concentration of lead and cadmium in polluted sites was more than the controled sites. In addition, Also Pine, Cypress and Locust tree species have the highest translocation factor of Lead (3.49ppm, 2.99ppm, 2.82ppm) and Cadmium (3.35ppm, 2.83ppm, 1.92ppm) respectively. These three recent species are used to refine the lead and Cadmium polluted soils under the same conditions.