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Mei Lei, Tongbin Chen*, Xiaoyong Zhou,

Jun Yang, Xiaoming Wan, Junxing Yang

Center for Environmental Remediation

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Application of Phytoremediation in China

Outline

Technical system of phyto-extraction with As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L.

Cases of phytoremediation application

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IGSNRR Phytoremediation

Phytoremediation is an efficient way to solve the soil heavy

metal pollution:

Pteris vittata:

Super As accumulation

Large biomass

Perennial

（Wei et al., 1999; Chen et al. 2000)

Small investment, landscape friendly

IGSNRR Pteris vittata L. – As hyperaccumulator

strong ability to accumulate As (10000 mg/kg) The shoot As concentration was hundreds of thousands of times

higher than normal plants

huge biomass and fast growth (24 t/ha FW)

perennial once planted, several years of harvest

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IGSNRR Phytoremediation of As

Contaminated Soil

Using hyperaccumulator P. vittata to extract As from soil.

Apply to farmland, suburbs, with large area and contaminants

accumulated in topsoil.

Hyperaccumulator Breeding Extraction Incineration

phytomining

PV

propag- ation

breeding Inciner- ation

Assessment of Soil pollution

Risk Assessment of Soil pollution

Economic

Assessment

Remediation Plans

fertilizer

Trans- planting

harvest

irriga- tion

weeding

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Outline

Technical system of phyto-extraction with As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L.

Cases of phytoremediation application

Cases of Phytoremediation Application

Mining for Zn and Pb

in Zhehai, Yunnan (funded by company, 15ha)

contaminated catchment in Huanjiang, Guangxi （The largest site, 133 ha)

Industry brownfield in Fangshan,Beijing

Tailing for Sn mine

in Gejiu, Yunnan

(funded by company , 33 ha)

Contaminated Farmaland in Chenzhou, Hunan （First site in China）

Pb Smelting pollution in Jiyuan, Henan

As mine in Shimen, Hunan

(funded by EPA, 35ha)

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Case 1 Cathment Contaminated by Pb-Zn Mine Tailings

Huanjing, Guangxi Autonomous Region

Time: 2006 ~ Area: 133 ha

Problems:

acidification and heavy metal

Technology: Phytoextraction,

intercropping of

hyperaccumulators and

economical crops，chemically

enhanced

Achievements:

Soil pH returned to normal .

Annual As removal rate:12%

The quality of agricultural products

met the national standards.

Net income: 2823 $ /hectare·year

Before After

(Chen et al., 2004）

Contaminated Land Remediating 3 years later

Phytoremediation Site in Huanjiang, Guangxi

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Application at Huanjiang, South China

Cathment contaminated by

tailings was restored

agricultural productivity safely

Before remediation

33 ha Tin tailing reclamation areas

Before remediation

Case 2：Application at Gejiu, South West China

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IGSNRR

Before remediation

Tin Tailing area, 33

hectares

No crops can grow

After 5-year remediation

Economic crop products

meet the related standards

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Application at Gejiu, South West China

Gejiu, Yunnan Province

Time: 2006 ~ Area: 33 ha

Problems: As and Pb

Technology: phytoextraction

Before After

Soil As was decreased by 18%

Soil Pb was reduced by 14%

After 5-year remediation,

economic crop (sugarcan)

products meet the related

standards

Case 2：Application at Gejiu, South West China

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IGSNRR Case3：Chenzhou in South China

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Time: From 2002 to 2007

Area: 1 hectare

Model: Phytoextraction

Plant: Pteris vittata L.

Post-use: Boehmeria nivea*

Achievements:

As concentration decreased from

50 to <30mg/kg

Input: 6775 $ /hectare·year

Remediation Efficiency: 8 -12%

* a common industrial crop in Hunan used as textile material

Before After

Removal Rate Assessment

To accurately evaluate remediation efficiency, the input and

output of As was calculated

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Net input

0.24

Pteris

vittata

Normal

plant

Pteris

vittata

Normal

plant

Atmospheric

fall out +0.37 +0.37

Irrigation and

fertigation +0.025 +0

Leaves

leaching +0.53 +0

Defoliation +0.02 +0.00

Runoff -0.01 -0.01

Soil

infiltration -0.05 -0.05

Aboveground

parts removal -7.90 -0.07

Net influx -7.02 +0.24 As contaminated soil

Net output

7.02

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Before Remediation: 70% exceeds the food hygiene standards

After Remediation: all meet the food hygiene standards

HM concentration in vegetables were lower than

standards

Cd hyperaccumulator

Sedum plumbizincicola As and Pb hyperaccumulator

Pteris vittata

Case 4：Farmland contaminated by Pb smelting works

Jiyuan, Henan ，North China

Annual Removal rates of Cd:

S. plumbizincicola : 3.46%

R. communis L: 2.94%

Annual removal rates of Pb and

As by P. vittata:

Pb: 0.5%

As: 13.4%

Time: 2012 ~ Area: 1 ha Problems: As, Pb and Cd contamination

Technology: Phytoextraction

(Lei et al., 2014）

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Location Area (ha)

Time Contami

nants Technology Remediation Efficiency

Dabaoshan, Guangdong

- 2005~

Cd, Cu, Pb and

Zn

Phytoextraction, Phytostabilization,

Chemical Immobilization

Available Cu and Cd decrease 51.8%-95.2% and 50.7%-74.5%

Fugang, Guangdong

2.67 2007~ Cd,

Phytoextraction, Immobilization,

Combining Phyto-Chemical tech

Cd in crops decreased from 0.32 ppm to 0.20ppm

Guixi, Jiangxi

138 2010~ Cd, Cu

Phytoextraction, Phytostabilization,

Chemical immobilization

Available Cu and Cd concentration decreased by 51.8%-95.2% and

50.7%-74.5%, respectively

Zhuzhou, Hunan

3.33 2006~ Cd Change plantation structure，VIP+n

Available Cd in soil decreased by 66%~90%, Cd in rice decreased

by 26%~71%

Xiangjiang basin, Hunan

1 2014~ Cd, Pb

Phytostabilization, immobilization, change

plantation structure

Soil and agricultural products met the national standards

Other Cases In China

Case 5： Paddy soil Contaminated by Cu mining activities

Dabaoshan, Guangdong Province

Time: 2005 ~

Problems: Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn

Models: Phytoextraction,

Phytostabilization, Chemical

immobilization, Crops rotation

(hyperaccumulator and low-

accumulating cash crops)

Achievements: Cd in rice

decreased by 80%, met the

national standards

(Qiu et al., 2009)

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Time: 2010-

Area: 138 ha

Problem: Cd and Cu contamination

Technology: Combined set of technologies including

physicochemical immobilization, phytoremediation, and Agronomic

regulation

Achievements: Available Cu and Cd concentration decreased by

51.8%-95.2% and 50.7%-74.5%, respectively

Case 6：Land Contaminated by Cu smelting works

Guixi, Jiangxi, South China

Case 7： Paddy soil Contaminated by Pb-Zn mining activities

Zhuzhou, Hunan Province

Time: 2005 ~

Problems: Cd

Models: VIP+n (low-

absorption plant Variety,

Irrigation, pH control, and

other agronomy measures)

Achievements: Available

Cd in soil decreased by

66%~90%, Cd in rice

decreased by 26%~71% in

VIP+n applied area

(Huang et al., 2013)

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National High Technology Research and Development Program

of China (863 Program, No. 2012AA061510, No. 2007AA061001)

National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.

41071215, No. U0833004)

Many thanks to group members, including Chen Tongbin, Qingjun Guo,

Jun Yang, Junxing Yang, Songpu Gu, Gang Xue, Dekui Peng, Suping

Liu…..

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Guangxi，2007

Our research family

Hunan，2013 Guangxi, 2012