Using Chelators to Enhance the Phytoremediation Utility of Broccoli, Mustard, and Thale Cress Plants: A plant-based approach to removing heavy metals from the environment
Authors:
- Students:
- Sofia Barger
- Ziad Elbego
- Patrick Kulaga
- Faiz Muhammad
- Vinay Narahari
- Lakshyaa Nathan
- Imaan Niazi
- Harry Yu
- Teachers:
- Tim Banas
- Daniel Olandese
- Mentors:
- Olga Antipova (Argonne National Laboratory, XSD-MIC)
Advanced Photon Source Sector 2: Microscopy
Phytoremediation is a possible solution to purify soil contaminated with lead. Given their tolerance to lead, ease of growth, and low cost, Brassica juncea (mustard), Brassica oleracea (broccoli), and Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) are good candidates for phytoremediation. A method to enhance phytoremediation by the three plants is the chelation of lead prior to uptake. Penicillamine is a chelator commonly used to treat lead poisoning in humans. Additionally, the chemical 5-aminosalicylic acid has been shown to successfully chelate lead (II), among other metal ions. Utilizing the Advanced Photon Source (APS), we employed X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to reveal the amount of lead absorbed by B. juncea, B. oleracea, and A. thaliana in combination with several different chelators. By further analyzing this information, an optimal chelator for the phytoremediation of lead-contaminated soils could be determined. Certain chelators increased lead uptake in certain plant species tested during this experiment, with salicylic acid appearing to be the most effective.