Bioaccumulation of some heavy metals by four exotic weeds in the coastal area of the Nile Delta, Egypt
The recovery of soil in coastal regions that has been contaminated with heavy metals depends heavily on the exotic weeds. In the coastal region of the Nile Delta, the present study assessed the contribution of four exotic invasive weeds to phytoremediation of heavy metals. These were Xanthium strumarium L. (Xa), Trianthema portulacastrum L. (Tr), Bassia indica (Ba), and Atriplex lindleyi (At). Results showed that Fe, Zn, Co, Pb, Cd, and Cu in plant samples had average heavy metal concentrations of 0.34, 0.07, 0.009, 0.21, 0.01, and 0.042 mg/g DW, respectively. X. strumarium had the maximum bioaccumulation (BCF) of Cd, Cu, Co, and Zn. A. lindleyi and B, indica displayed the greatest BCF values for Fe and Pb, respectively. BCF of Pb, Co, and Fe were shown to be highly correlated with nitrogen content. Results obtained will be helpful for using these exotic weeds as a tool for phytoremediation of heavy metal-polluted soil. Therefore, the chosen exotic weeds could be considered as the one of best candidates for heavy metal phytoremediation in contaminated soils. Keywords: Atriplex, Bassia, Bioaccumulation (BCF), Heavy metals, Invasion, Phytoremediation, Trianthema, Weeds, Xanthium.