Plant-Based Removal Of Soil Pollutants Using Ornamental Species From Public Parks

Abstract

The present research looked at how well specific ornamental plants (Nerium Oliande and Acacia) removed soil contaminants at different concentrations of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd: 5, 10, and 20 ppm) in public parks in Babylon Governorate, Iraq.  Time, concentration, and plant species all have a significant impact on removal efficiency.  The acacia (49.94%) and nerium (51.06%) had the lowest removal effectiveness for cadmium during the first month.  The maximum efficiency occurred in 20 ppm in the third month, reaching 95.92% for Acacia and 95.89% for Nerium.  The effectiveness of high cadmium removal was shown by both Acacia and Nerium, particularly after two and three months of exposure.Although there was a little difference at first, both species' performance soon became equivalent.  Excellent phytoremediation capabilities for lead-contaminated soils were demonstrated by Acacia and Nerium.  In the first month, a minimum removal of 75 ppm of lead was noted, with nerium being removed at 41.12% and acacia at 37.5%.  Over the course of three months, the effectiveness of continuous Pb removal improved, reaching the maximum lead removal of 300 ppm with acacia at 95.93% and Nerium at 96.04%. Acacia fared well in the early phases and at low concentrations, although Nerium performed somewhat better.  In terms of zinc, Acacia (49.94%) and Nerium (51.06%) had the lowest levels, with 50 ppm in the second month.  Acacia (95.92%) and Nerium (95.89%) had the maximum ejection effectiveness in the third month at 150 ppm.  With peak performance in the third month, both plant species showed a time-free improvement in removal efficiency overall.  Nerium performed exceptionally well at low concentrations in the early stages, while Acacia performed marginally better at high metal concentrations.  These species have shown a high capacity for long-term phytoremediation of soil dated with Cds, Pb, and ZN. This makes them appropriate for combined use in phytoremediation strategies in a number of contaminated sites.