The Capacity of Heavy Metal Remediation by Cyperus alternifolius, Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, and Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. under Industrial and Urban Wastewater Treatment

Abstract Urban wastewater (UWW) and industrial wastewater (IWW) release lots of heavy metals into the environment, leading to various risks regarding agricultural production, food quality, human and animal health, and environmental safety. Phytoremediation is known as one of the best and most affordable strategies to eliminate or reduce heavy metals in different environments. This study examined the phytoremediation ability of three plant species (Cyperus alternifolius, Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, and Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f) to absorb heavy metals of Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Mg from the contaminated soil with UWW and IWW for 14 months. The result showed that all three examined plants reduced heavy metal pollution of the soil using the phytostabilization method. The metal accumulation index (MAI) of the root in V. zizanioides was higher than C. alternifolius and A. vera. While MAI of the shoot in A. vera was higher than C. zizanioides and C. alternifolius. Based on the results, it is suggested to cultivate C. zizanioides and A. vera in the polluted areas to decrease the amount of soil contaminants and create a green belt. Keywords: Heavy metal, Industrial and urban wastewater, Metal accumulation index, Phytoremediation, Phytostabilization