Selection of Appropriate Plant for Remediation of Uranium from Salty Soils

Nowadays, phytoremediation is recognized as an effective method for decontaminating of soil and water. In this study, the ability of different plants for remediation of uranium from contaminated soils were studied. The Amaranthus Tricolor, Bassia scoparia, Triticum, Brassica juncea, Conyza canadensis (L) Cronq and Brassica napus were planted in the sample soils of Isfahan’s nuclear area which contaminated with 300 mg/Kg uranium. The plants were harvested after one and three months. The amounts of uranium in different parts of the plants were investigated using the ash method. The results showed higher uranium concentration in the plants cultured in the soil with higher salinity. The addition of fertilizer did not improve the uranium absorption from the soil. The amount of uranium in different parts of the plants was increased over time. While the maximum accumulation in most of the plants was observed in the roots, the highest amount of uranium in Conyza canadensis (L) Cronq was perceived in the stem. Among the plants selected for phytoremediation, Conyza canadensis (L) Cronq indicated the highest uptake of uranium with the average amount of 3233.02 and 3727.81 mg/Kg in the stem after 1 and 3 months, respectively. The transfer factor for leaf, stem and root of Conyza canadensis (L) Cronq was determined as 7.40, 12.43 and 6.02; the translocation factor was also calculated as 1.75 after 3 months. According to the results, Conyza canadensis (L) Cronq can be a good candidate for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with uranium.