Phytoextraction of Heavy Metal (Cu, Zn, Pb) from Mining Area by Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Aim of study: The aim of this study was to determine the phytoremediation capacity of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), which can also be used as a bioenergy plant, in soils contaminated with copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) from the waste dumping sites during the mining operations. Area of study: Phytoremediation study was carried out in Artvin Coruh University Research greenhouse environment. Material and Methods: Plants were grown by mixing clean and contaminated soil at the rates of 0%, 50% and 100%. Bioaccumulation (BAF) and translocation (TF) factors were calculated by measuring heavy metal concentrations in soil and plant samples. The bioaccumulation factor is calculated by dividing the metal concentration in the shoots with the metal concentration in the soil. The translocation factor expresses the ratio of the metal concentration in the plant green parts to the root metal concentration. Main results: The sunflower plant has accumulated the highest Zn in the shoots, while Cu and Pb have accumulated the highest in the roots. The mean BAF values of the plants were determined as 0.72 for Zn, 0.5 for Pb and 0.28 for Cu, while the mean TF values were determined as 1.25 for Zn, 0.97 for Pb and 0.52 for Cu. Highlights: The findings show that the sunflower plant can be used in the phytostabilization of Cu metal and in the phytoextraction of Zn and Pb metal to reclaim heavy metal contaminated soils.