Phytoremediation potential of paspalum conjugatum berg. And the role of compost amendment in rehabilitation of soil materials from high copper-containing mine tailings ponds

Abstract

© 2018, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Banos. All rights reserved. This study determined the phytoremediation potential of the grass species Paspalum conjugatum Berg. (locally known as carabao grass) in abandoned tailings ponds in Brgy. Paco, Mankayan, Benguet, Northern Philippines. Top soils from an agricultural field, a tailings pond overlaid with top soil and municipal biowaste (TP4), and an abandoned tailings pond without any rehabilitation (TP3) were amended with different levels of compost and were used as growth media of P. conjugatum. In plots utilizing TP3 growth media materials and amended with 4%, 8%, and 16% compost and planted with the grass, the pH and final organic matter (OM) were significantly increased. Exchangeable copper in TP3 growth media was significantly reduced only at 4% compost application. Physical and chemical soil properties of TP4 and agricultural field soil materials were not affected by organic matter amendments probably because these soils already had a stable environment. P. conjugatum was able to colonize tailings ponds with very low pH and high concentrations of soil copper. Copper was retained in its roots with less translocation to the shoots showing its phytostabilizing quality. In addition, its translocation factor value is less than 1. Its biological concentration factor (BCF) values were greater than 1. These characteristics of P. conjugatum show the potentials for phytoremediation of the grass.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Agricultural Scientist

ISSN

317454

Page

206-215

Document Type

Article

Subject

Compost, Exchangeable copper, Mine tailings, Paspalum conjugatum, Phytoremediation, Phytostabilization

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