(cest2017_00526) The effects of citric acid and varying concentrations of copper and iron on the phytoextraction of copper from aqueous solution by vetiver grass

摘要

The effects of the presence of citric acid as chelating agentand varying concentrations of copper and iron on thephytoextraction of copper from aqueous solution by vetivergrass were investigated in a full factorial design. Vetiverslips were allowed to acclimatize in a half-strengthHoagland's Nutrient Solution for 14 days prior to the 7-dayhydroponic study where the plants were exposed todifferent treatments. Plants were harvested, separated intoroots and shoots, and prepared for Atomic AbsorptionSpectrometry analysis. Three-way analysis of variance wasused to determine which factors significantly affectbiomass change, total copper uptake, and translocationfactor. Vetiver grass grown in solutions with citric acidsignificantly alleviated copper phytotoxicity symptomsresulting to lower decrease in biomass than those plantsgrown without the chelating agent. Higher copperconcentration in solution led to higher total copper uptake,while higher iron concentration in solution significantlydecreased copper translocation factors in vetiver grass.Average copper translocation factors were less than 1, i.e.,more copper was accumulated in roots than in shoots.