Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CITRIC ACID AND SUCROSE MEDIATED PHYTOEXTRACTION OF LEAD THROUGH MARIGOLD (TAGETES ERECTA)

Shikha Saxena, Jitendra Kumar, Shabana, Alok Srivastava and V.P. Singh

Abstract

Phytoextraction is one of the method of phytoremediation used to remove contaminants from soil by accumulation of contaminants in plant tissue and it is a promising cleanup technology for a variety of metal containing soil. The aim of present investigation is to study the effects of sucrose and citric acid on accumulation potential of marigold (Tagetes erecta) to lead and also to evaluate the effects of different doses of sucrose and citric acid in combination with lead on the growth of marigold. The seeds of marigold (variety-Pusa narangi) were presoaked in distilled water and were sown in the field without any treatment and were treated as control. After 20 days, the plantlets of marigold were transplanted into the pots, supplied with different concentration of sucrose (1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mM/Kg soil) and citric acid (1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mM/ Kg soil) in combination with Pb (100 mg/kg soil) at 10 days after stabilization of the plants in pots from nursery. The growth parameter were recorded at 25 days in the stabilized plants and the result of the present investigation clearly indicated that different concentration of citric acid in combination with lead did not affect the growth of marigold in terms of plant height, fresh weight, dry weight and chlorophyll content significantly but a slight nonsignificant decrease in these parameters was noticed at 25 days as compared to their respective control. Where as in case of sucrose a slight nonsignificant increase in these parameters was noticed at 25 days as compared to their respective control. All the three doses of citric acid (1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mM/Kg soil) and sucrose (1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mM/Kg soil) significantly increased the accumulation of Pb by roots and stem as compared to control treatments. Thus sucrose and citric acid efficiently increased the ability of phytoextraction by marigold and it can be used as phytoremediator plant at lead contaminated sites.