Growth and heavy metal accumulation of Koelreuteria paniculata seedlings and their potential for restoring manganese mine wastelands in Hunan, China

Zhihong Huang; Wenhua Xiang; Yu'e Ma; Pifeng Lei; Dalun Tian; Xiangwen Deng; Wende Yan; Xi Fang

doi:10.3390/ijerph120201726

Growth and heavy metal accumulation of Koelreuteria paniculata seedlings and their potential for restoring manganese mine wastelands in Hunan, China

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Feb 3;12(2):1726-44. doi: 10.3390/ijerph120201726.

Authors

Zhihong Huang¹, Wenhua Xiang^{2

3}, Yu'e Ma⁴, Pifeng Lei⁵, Dalun Tian⁶, Xiangwen Deng⁷, Wende Yan⁸, Xi Fang⁹

Affiliations

¹ National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. huanghugh2013@yahoo.com.
² National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. xiangwh2005@163.com.
³ Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. xiangwh2005@163.com.
⁴ Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. yuema2013@hotmail.com.
⁵ National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. pifeng.lei@gmail.com.
⁶ National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. csufttdl@126.com.
⁷ National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. dxwfree@126.com.
⁸ National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. csfuywd@hotmail.com.
⁹ National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. fangxizhang@sina.com.

Abstract

The planting of trees on mine wastelands is an effective, long-term technique for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated wastes. In this study, a pot experiment with seedlings of Koelreuteria paniculata under six treatments of local mine wastes was designed to determine the major constraints on tree establishment and to evaluate the feasibility of planting K. paniculata on manganese mine wastelands. Results showed that K. paniculata grew well in mine tailings, and also under a regime of equal amounts of mine tailings and soil provided in adjacent halves of pots. In contrast, mine sludge did not favor survival and growth because its clay texture limited fine root development. The bio-concentration factor and the translocation factor were mostly less than 1, indicating a low phytoextraction potential for K. paniculata. K. paniculata is suited to restore manganese mine sludge by mixing the mine sludge with local mine tailings or soil.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Evaluation Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental
China
Environmental Restoration and Remediation / methods*
Feasibility Studies
Industrial Waste*
Manganese / pharmacokinetics*
Mining*
Sapindaceae / chemistry
Sapindaceae / growth & development*
Seedlings / chemistry
Seedlings / growth & development*
Soil Pollutants / pharmacokinetics*
Trees / chemistry
Trees / growth & development

Substances

Industrial Waste
Soil Pollutants
Manganese