Correlating Zinc Phytoaccumulation of Cyperus iria Linn with Soil Chemical Parameters in a Metal Contaminated Soil Amended with Orange Peels

Abstract

Correlating Zinc Phytoaccumulation of Cyperus iria Linn with Soil Chemical Parameters in a Metal Contaminated Soil Amended with Orange Peels Correlating Zinc phytoaccumulation of Cyperus iria Linn with Soil chemical parameters in a metal contaminated soil amended with orange peels (waste) was investigated at the Center for Ecological Studies, University of Port Harcourt. Zinc contaminated soil (2 kg) was arranged in 4 batches (A, B, C and D) in addition to un-contaminated soil (E). The orange peel amendment was as follows: A (100 g/2 kg), B (200 g/2 kg), C (300 g/2 kg), D (0 g) (control) and E (0 g) (double control). Two seedlings of Cyperus iria were transplanted into all batches were monitored at 8 week interval. Results showed the translocation factor of Zn in Cyperus iria were in the order: D (1.51) > E (1.06) > B &C (0.68) > A (0.51) at 8th week; and D (1.08) > A (1.01) > E (0.97) > C (0.93) > B (0.92) at 16th week. The accumulation factor (AF) and bioconcentration factors (BCF) were > 1. Zinc accumulation was positively correlated with soil organic matter (SOM), Cl-, SO3, NO3-, P, Mg2+ and; SOM, conductivity, pH, anions and cations for root and shoot respectively. Our results suggest that orange peel could improve Cyperus iria Zn accumulation on Zn contaminated soil, but further studies in field conditions are needed.