Metal uptake and organic acid exudation of native Acacia species in mine tailings

Phytostabilisation with native plant species has been advocated as a cost-effective approach to rehabilitate mine tailings containing phytotoxic metal-bearing minerals. For this purpose, five Acacia species (natural colonisers) native to north-west Queensland region of Australia were investigated for metal uptake and root exudation characteristics in response to growth for 3 weeks in three different mine tailings (Cu and Cu-Pb-Zn) differing in their degree of weathering. Root tissues of the plant species grown in the three types of tailings accumulated up to 0.9 mg Cd kg–1, 10 mg Co kg–1, 177 mg Cu kg–1, 38 mg Pb kg–1 and 4800 mg Zn kg–1 (DW basis) – being suitable for phytostabilisation purposes. However, elevated levels of root exudates in rhizosphere tailings enhanced the bioavailability of metals, leading to the accumulation of high levels of some metals in Acacia shoots (e.g. shoot concentrations of 140 mg Zn kg–1 in Acacia acradenia F.Muell. and 230 mg Zn kg–1 in Acacia hilliana Maiden). Positive correlations (P < 0.05) between citric acid levels and metal root uptakes suggested that citric acid production in these plant species may be the main driver for metal mobilisation. The results suggest that the native acacia species have the potential to mobilise metals (albeit in mineral forms) in the tailings, when used for phytostabilisation.

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A Laboratory Study on Revegetation and Metal Uptake in Native Plant Species from Neutral Mine Tailings

Water Air & Soil Pollution ◽

10.1007/s11270-007-9369-1 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 183 (1-4) ◽

pp. 201-212 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Héctor M. Conesa ◽

Rainer Schulin ◽

Bernd Nowack

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Laboratory Study ◽

Mine Tailings ◽

Metal Uptake ◽

Native Plant ◽

Native Plant Species

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Ecological amendment of uranium mine tailings using native plant species

Phytorestoration of Abandoned Mining and Oil Drilling Sites ◽

10.1016/b978-0-12-821200-4.00017-0 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 249-261

Author(s):

Lal Singh ◽

Prafulla Soni ◽

T. Mohan Manu

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Mine Tailings ◽

Uranium Mine ◽

Native Plant ◽

Native Plant Species

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Weeds of Australian rangelands

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj06017 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Tara G. Martin ◽

Shane Campbell ◽

Simone Grounds

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Weed Management ◽

Expert Knowledge ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Native Plant ◽

Weed Detection ◽

Native Plant Species ◽

Natural Systems ◽

Detection And Identification

Despite recognition that non-native plant species represent a substantial risk to natural systems, there is currently no compilation of weeds that impact on the biodiversity of the rangelands within Australia. Using published and expert knowledge, this paper presents a list of 622 non-native naturalised species known to occur within the rangelands. Of these, 160 species (26%) are considered a current threat to rangeland biodiversity. Most of these plant species have been deliberately introduced for forage or other commercial use (e.g. nursery trade). Among growth forms, shrubs and perennial grasses comprise over 50% of species that pose the greatest risk to rangeland biodiversity. We identify regions within the rangelands containing both high biodiversity values and a high proportion of weeds and recommend these areas as priorities for weed management. Finally, we examine the resources available for weed detection and identification since detecting weeds in the early stages of invasion is the most cost effective method of reducing further impact.

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Arsenic and Heavy Metal Uptake and Accumulation in Native Plant Species from Soils Polluted by Mining Activities

Water Air & Soil Pollution ◽

10.1007/s11270-011-0882-x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 223 (2) ◽

pp. 559-572 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Sara García-Salgado ◽

David García-Casillas ◽

Ma. Angeles Quijano-Nieto ◽

Ma. Milagros Bonilla-Simón

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metal ◽

Plant Species ◽

Metal Uptake ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Native Plant ◽

Heavy Metal Uptake ◽

Native Plant Species

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Plants from the abandoned Nacozari mine tailings: evaluation of their phytostabilization potential

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3280 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3280 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Alina E. Santos ◽

Rocio Cruz-Ortega ◽

Diana Meza-Figueroa ◽

Francisco M. Romero ◽

Jose Jesus Sanchez-Escalante ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Mine Tailings ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Plant Distribution ◽

Accumulation Factor ◽

Native Plant ◽

Perennial Species ◽

Prosopis Velutina ◽

Native Plant Species ◽

Short Term Experiment

Phytostabilization is a remediation technology that uses plants for in-situ stabilization of contamination in soils and mine tailings. The objective of this study was to identify native plant species with potential for phytostabilization of the abandoned mine tailings in Nacozari, Sonora in northern Mexico. A flora of 42 species in 16 families of angiosperms was recorded on the tailings site and the abundance of the most common perennial species was estimated. Four of the five abundant perennial species showed evidence of regeneration: the ability to reproduce and establish new seedlings. A comparison of selected physicochemical properties of the tailings in vegetated patches with adjacent barren areas suggests that pH, electrical conductivity, texture, and concentration of potentially toxic elements do not limit plant distribution. For the most abundant species, the accumulation factor for most metals was <1, with the exception of Zn in two species. A short-term experiment on adaptation revealed limited evidence for the formation of local ecotypes inProsopis velutinaandAmaranthus watsonii. Overall, the results of this study indicate that five native plant species might have potential for phytostabilization of the Nacozari tailings and that seed could be collected locally to revegetate the site. More broadly, this study provides a methodology that can be used to identify native plants and evaluate their phytostabilization potential for similar mine tailings.

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