Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/10871
Title: The use of bio-energy crops for phytoremediation of metal enriched soils in the Campine region
Authors: VAN SLYCKEN, S.
MEERS, Erik 
Meiresonne, Linda
WITTERS, Nele 
ADRIAENSEN, Kristin 
PEENE, A.
DEJONGHE, W.
THEWYS, Theo 
VANGRONSVELD, Jaco 
TACK, F.M.G.
Issue Date: 2008
Source: COMMUNICATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL AND APPLIED BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 73(1). p. 19-26
Abstract: From the end of the 19th century until mid 1970s, zinc and lead were refined at several locations in the north east of Belgium (Campine region; Dutch: de Kempen) using a pyrometallurgical process (Vangronsveld et al., 2007). Through atmospheric deposition over the years, an estimated area of at least 280km² is now enriched with several metals, including Zn, Cd and Pb (OVAM, 2008). Most of these metal enriched soils are in agricultural usage. Because the soils are sandy and acidic, there is a great possibility that food and fodder crops might be restricted for safety concern (e.g. potential exceeding of Cd limits). Therefore measures need to be taken. Phytoremediation is a technique that involves the use of plants for the removal of pollutants from the environment or to render them harmless. (Garbisu & Alkorta, 2001). It can be considered as a technique that is best suited for the remediation of slightly to moderate and diffusely polluted areas. This type of soil remediation takes place at much lower cost than the conventional methods (Kumar et al., 1995, Rulkens et al., 1998). In the past only plants with natural metal accumulating characteristics such as Brassica sp. and Thlaspi caerulescens were used (Garbisu & Alkorta, 2001, Vassilev et al., 2002). The produced biomass is however low, the metal accumulation is specific and there is a lack of agricultural practices and management Van Nevel et al., 2007). More recently, also fast growing crops (maize, barley, oat, ryegrass, triticale, rapeseed) with high biomass production are used for phytoremediation, resulting in a final metal extraction that can be equal to hyper-accumulating plants, despite their lower concentrations in their plant compartments (Vassilev et al., 2002; Meers et al., 2005, Hernandez-Allica et al., 2008). In this study, the potential of non-food, and in particular renewable energy-crops (e.g. energy maize, rapeseed, short rotation coppice of willow and poplar) for phytoremediation purposes are investigated.
Document URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/10871
ISSN: 1379-1176
Category: A3
Type: Journal Contribution
Appears in Collections:Research publications

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