Phytoaccumulation of metals in three plants species of the Asteraceae family sampled along a highway

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the ability of roots and above-ground parts of three plant species of the Asteraceae family (Matricaria inodora L., Achillea milefolium L., Crepis setosa Haller fill.) for bioaccumulation and translocation of eight metals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr). Those plants were sampled directly along the lanes of the highway at the entrance into the City of Kragujevac, Republic of Serbia. The investigated metals are emitted into the air from road traffic and are deposited in the surrounding soil. Many of them are toxic to the living organism, and it is, therefore, necessary to apply effective, economical, sustainable methods for their removal from the environment. An example of such a method is as phytoremediation, based on the use of metal hyperaccumulator plants. The results of this research showed the species studied differ in the absorption, translocation and accumulation of investigated metals. They also showed that species M. inodora and A. milefolium (leaves) can be used for the phytoextraction of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cr, species C. setosa (leaves) for Ca, Mg and Cu species M. inodora (stem) for Cr. The results further indicate that all three species absorb Zn from the soil and translocate it to the stems and leaves. All three of the studied species are suitable for phytostabilization of soils loaded with Zn, but only the species M. inodora and C. setosa can be applied in phytoremediation of this metal.