A review on phytoremediation of mercury contaminated soils

Zhongchuang Liu; Boning Chen; Li-Ao Wang; Oksana Urbanovich; Liubov Nagorskaya; Xiang Li; Li Tang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123138

A review on phytoremediation of mercury contaminated soils

J Hazard Mater. 2020 Dec 5:400:123138. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123138. Epub 2020 Jun 19.

Authors

Zhongchuang Liu¹, Boning Chen², Li-Ao Wang³, Oksana Urbanovich⁴, Liubov Nagorskaya⁵, Xiang Li⁶, Li Tang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Green Intelligence Environmental School, Yangtze Normal University, 16 Juxian Rd. Lidu, Fuling District of Chongqing, China; Chongqing Multiple-source Technology Engineering Research Center for Ecological Environment Monitoring, Yangtze Normal University, 16 Juxian Rd. Lidu, Fuling District of Chongqing, China. Electronic address: liuzhongchuang@yznu.cn.
² Fuling Environmental Monitoring Center, 3 Taibai Rd, Fuling New District of Chongqing, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, China; College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, 174 Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, China.
⁴ Institute of Genetics and Cytology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, 220072, Belarus.
⁵ Applied Science Center for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, 220072, Belarus.
⁶ International Policy, Faculty of Law and Economics, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan.
⁷ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing, China.

PMID: 32947735
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123138

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) and its compounds are one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants and Hg pollution exists in soils in different degrees over the world. Phytoremediation of Hg-contaminated soils has attracted increasing attention for the advantages of low investment, in-situ remediation, potential economic benefits and so on. Searching for the hyperaccumulator of Hg and its application in practice become a research hotspot. In this context, we review the current literatures that introduce various experimental plant species for accumulating Hg and aided techniques improving the phytoremediation of Hg-contaminated soils. Experimental plant species for accumulating Hg and accumulation or translocation factor of Hg are listed in detail. The translocation factor (TF) is greater than 1.0 for some plant species, however, the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) is greater than 1.0 for Axonopus compressus only. Plant species, soil properties, weather condition, and the bioavailability and heterogeneity of Hg in soils are the main factors affecting the phytoremediation of Hg-contaminated soils. Chemical accelerator kinds and promoting effect of chemical accelerators for accumulating and transferring Hg by various plant species are also discussed. Potassium iodide, compost, ammonium sulphate, ammonium thiosulfate, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, hydrochloric acid and sulfur fertilizer may be selected to promote the absorption of Hg by plants. The review introduces transgenic gene kinds and promoting effect of transgenic plants for accumulating and transferring Hg in detail. Some transgenic plants can accumulate more Hg than non-transgenic plants. The composition of rhizosphere microorganisms of remediation plants and the effect of rhizosphere microorganisms on the phytoremediation of Hg-contaminated soils are also introduced. Some rhizosphere microorganisms can increase the mobility of Hg in soils and are beneficial for the phytoremediation.

Keywords: Assisted phytoremediation; Hazardous wastes; Hg-contaminated soils; Hyperaccumulator of Hg; Phytoremediation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental*
Mercury*
Rhizosphere
Soil
Soil Pollutants* / analysis

Substances

Soil
Soil Pollutants
Mercury