Effects of cyanide contaminated soils on physiological and biochemical properties of Sorghum bicolor

Soil contamination by industrial pollutants has associated with increasing risks for human, the environment and other living organisms. Cyanide is considered as one of the most toxic and dangerous pollutants used for the extraction of gold. One of the most cost-effective methods to eliminate cyanide from the environment and soil is "Phytoremediation". In this research, the Physiological and biochemical responses as well as remediation, and resistance of Sorghum bicolor to different cyanide treatments were investigated Accordingly, the effluent from the gold mining was prepared from Mouteh gold mining of Isfahan and this soil was mixed with normal soil to prepare different concentrations of contaminated soil. Cyanide changes in soil, total protein content, proline and morphometric Stem length, leaf, plant length and stem diameter changes of the plants were measured after completing the vegetative phase of the plant. Plant could absorb cyanide of contaminated soils, Total protein and proline content of the plant were enhanced with increasing cyanide content. Raising the cyanide contaminated soil resulted in promoted protein and proline content in treated plants,reduced cyanide concentration in soil and increased cyanide absorption by plant Sorghum. Plant could tolerate 12.69 g/kg of cyanide. Reduction of soil cyanide as well as its accumulation in plant and morphometric changes showed that phytoremediation is an appropriate method for the remediation of cyanide contaminated soils. Therefore, Sorghum bicolor can be a useful phytoremediation plant for removing cyanide from soils contaminated with these type of pollutants.