Soil Heavy Metals Pollution and Phytoremediation Potential of Hordeum bulbosum L. Around Bituminous Mine, Ilam Province, Iran

The fast-growing rangeland plant species, which could be grown in many different climatic conditions, are the best plants for remediation agents of heavy metals from contaminated soils.

The soil and plant sampling was performed based on the systematic randomized design in four different geographical directions around the Humalan Bitumin mine. The concentration of the elements was measured using the inductive plasma spectroscopy (ICP-OES) spectroscopic analytical method. The quantities values of contaminants were analyzed statistically by SPSS 22 software. Also, the dominant plant species, H. bulbosum, was selected to evaluate heavy metal uptake in plant species.

The highest Mn level in shoots parts of H. bulbosum (155.34mg/kg) was seen in 100 m distance of the mine. According to biogeochemical indices, the highest amount of heavy metals was observed in the plants grown at a 100-meter distance from the mine. The highest accumulation factor was observed in the cadmium (as 1.15mg/kg), and the maximum enrichment factor was seen in the Mn element as 0.82mg/kg in 100m distance of the mine.

H. bulbosum represents an important interest in their potential use to remediate toxic metals of soils. H. bulbosum enables an important substance for explore the tolerance strategies of heavy metals accumulation in plant cells and has high application value in remediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites. Our results also indicate that TF values of H. bulbosum were more than 1 for the Cd metal. So, these species potentially could be used for phytoremediation and phytostabilization application in Cd-contaminated areas.