A Comparative Study of Phytoremediation of Cd and Cr in Soil Using Silica-infused Brassica juncea L. and Vigna radiata

Heavy metals are added to the soil as a result of industrialization. Removing this heavy metal from the soil is a difficult procedure, and phytoremediation is an essential and effective method for remediation. Heavy metals present in the study area included are Cd and Cr. Two plants namely Brassica juncea L. and Vigna radiata were successfully grown on the soil contaminated with Cd and Cr using the Silica powder obtained from coconut husk and paddy straw is also found to have heavy metals absorption properties without decreasing the nutrient status of the soil which was observed from the study. The remediation capacity is measured using Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy. Brassica juncea L remediates the heavy metals Cr (600≤ 560≤ 450 ppm) with higher efficiency while Vigna radiate remediates Cd with higher efficiency (450 ≤ 400 ≤ 380 ppm) respectively. The accumulation rate of these heavy metals was observed in the root and shoot growth as the metal prove to be the hyper accumulators. This paper investigated the uptake of heavy metals from roots to shoots, as well as their bioconcentration and the remediation efficiency of the p heavy metals by hyper accumulators. With the increase in Industrialization and urbanization, the pollution by heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, etc accumulates in water and soil rapidly. As the heavy metals are non-biodegradable and toxic, they accumulate in the environment causing devastation to the living organisms thereby. Few heavy metals have got carcinogenic and mutagenic properties at lower concentrations. Phytoremediation is the process by which plants are used for remediating contaminated sites. Brassica juncea L. and Vigna radiata are found to have high heavy metals tolerating capacity. But plants that uptake heavy metals are slow growing and produce very little biomass and they uptake very little heavy metals in a short span. Silica obtained from coconut husk and paddy straw is also found to have heavy metals absorption properties. When silica is fused along with the Phyto remediating plant, the efficiency of the process increases. Silica powder is used in soil, while silica gel is made to float in hydroponics. The remediation capacity is measured using Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy.