Feasibility Study on Reducing Lead and Cadmium Absorption by Alfalfa (Medicago scutellata L.) in a Contaminated Soil Using Nano-Activated Carbon and Natural Based Nano-Zeolite

Tahereh  HASANABADI; Shahram LACK; Adel MODHEJ; Hossien GHAFOURIAN; Mojtaba ALAVIFAZEL; M. Reza ARDAKANI

doi:10.15835/nbha47411613

Authors

Tahereh HASANABADI Young Researchers and Elites Club, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (IR)
Shahram LACK Islamic Azad University, Department of Agronomy, Ahvaz Branch, Ahvaz (IR)
Adel MODHEJ Islamic Azad University, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Shoushtar Branch, Shoushtar (IR)
Hossien GHAFOURIAN Islamic Azad University, Department of Environmental Science, North Tehran Branch, Tehran (IR)
Mojtaba ALAVIFAZEL Islamic Azad University, Department of Agronomy, Ahvaz Branch, Ahvaz (IR)
M. Reza ARDAKANI Islamic Azad University, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Karaj Branch, Karaj (IR)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha47411613

Keywords:

activated carbon; alfalfa; heavy metals; nano-porous adsorbent

Abstract

The first risk posed by heavy metal pollution in an ecosystem is metal accumulation in the biomass of growing plants, which has harmful effects on human health. Natural-based nanoparticles are efficient in remediating environmental pollutants because they have a high surface/volume ratio, high chemical activity and produce no harmful side-products. The present study investigates the capacity of natural-based nano-porous adsorbents for reducing the availability of heavy metals to annual alfalfa (Medicago scutellata L.) roots and keeps them in soil. In a factorial experiment based on a randomized design (with four replications), three nano-adsorbents (nano-activated carbon, natural nano-zeolite and modified nano-zeolite) and two heavy metals (lead and cadmium) have been tested. The results demonstrated that applying the highest rate of activated carbon and modified nano-zeolite reduced shoot Pb content by 34% and 33.2%, and shoot Cd content by 35.5% and 46.7%, respectively, compared with the adsorbent-free control.

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