Australian native plant species Carpobrotus rossii (Haw.) Schwantes shows the potential of cadmium phytoremediation

Abstract

Many polluted sites are typically characterized by contamination with multiple heavy metals, drought, salinity, and nutrient deficiencies. Here, an Australian native succulent halophytic plant species, Carpobrotus rossii (Haw.) Schwantes (Aizoaceae) was investigated to assess its tolerance and phytoextraction potential of Cd, Zn, and the combination of Cd and Zn, when plants were grown in soils spiked with various concentrations of Cd (20-320 mg kg-1 Cd), Zn (150-2,400 mg kg-1 Zn) or Cd + Zn (20 + 150, 40 + 300, 80 + 600 mg kg-1). The concentration of Cd in plant parts followed the order of roots > stems > leaves, resulting in Cd translocation factor (TF, concentration ratio of shoots to roo..