Nature Environment and Pollution Technology

V. Divya Vijayan ¹, P. K. Sushama ²

Affiliations
1 Land Use and Cover Monitoring Division, National Remote Sensing Centre, Balanagar, Hyderabad-500037, IN
2 Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Kerala, IN

Abstract

A study was conducted to find out the distribution of heavy metals and the pollution status of a major dumping site in Laloor, Thrissur, Kerala and also the effectiveness of vetiver in phytoremediation of contaminated soils. The total heavy metal content of the dumping sites was higher than the non dumping sites. The average content of total Pb was recorded as 82.84 mg kg^-1 in the soils of Laloor. Monitoring the Co content of the soil, irrespective of different intervals and the sites of study, it was found that the average content was 7.79 mg kg^-1 at Laloor. The average total Ni content registered at Laloor was 35.54 mg kg^-1. The Hg content of the soil was 0.42 mg kg^-1 at Laloor. The average content of Cr was found to be 115.67 mg kg^-1 in Laloor soil. The result of heavy metal analysis was added to the GIS layers created for the different sites of the location and the major pollution indices were represented in the map. The highest polluted site was identified in the Laloor dump site. The soil along with waste material collected from Laloor was used for phytoremediation study with vetiver grass. Phytoremediation with vetiver showed that it has good phytoremediation potential with a bio concentration factor of more than two for metals like Ni, Cr and Hg. Vetiver is a good translocator of Cr and most of the other heavy metals were stabilized in the ischolar_main. On the basis of removal ratio, it removed heavy metals in the order Cr > Ni > Co > Pb.

Keywords

Heavy Metal Pollution, Dumpyard Soil, Phytoremediation, Chrysopogon zizaniodes.

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