Heavy metal phytoremediation potential of Cosmos bipinnatus for use in chromium-contaminated regions of Dravyavati River, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Due to their toxicity and permanence, heavy metals pose a significant threat as pollutants. Metals leach into soil from human activities including mining, manufacturing, and farming. Phytoremediation involves removing contaminants from soils using herbaceous plants and trees; it is a cost-effective, non-invasive, and aesthetically pleasing technique. The current research investigated the phytoremediation capacity of Cosmos bipinnatus in soil that had been polluted with chromium (Cr) along the Dravyavati River in Jaipur. The plant uptake of heavy metals was studied for 20, 40, 60, and 80 days of growth in pot and field experiments using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) to analyze residual heavy metal concentrations in the plant’s shoots and roots. Chromium exhibited variation in total absorption by plants depending on the type of treatment. Using the translocation factor, it was observed that after 80 days in Nala soil 80% + wheat husk 20% (H2), the plant’s capacity to absorb Cr was equivalent and considerably higher. Nola soil 80% + wheat husk 20%; H2, and Nala soil 70% + wheat husk 30%; H3 were among the treatments with TFs more than 1; however, the BCF values were all lower than 1. Additionally, root uptake was greater than shoot uptake. Thus, at H3 and H2 treatments, C. bipinnatus was determined to be an efficient phytoextractor for Cr, but at other concentrations, it acted as an excluder.