Phytoprevention of Heavy Metal Contamination From Terrestrial Enhanced Weathering: Can Plants Save the Day?

Enhanced weathering is a promising approach to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, it may also pose environmental risks through the release of heavy metals, in particular nickel and chromium. In this perspective article I explore the potential role of plants in modulating these heavy metal fluxes. Agricultural basaltic soils may be valuable study sites in this context. However, the effect of biomass harvesting on the accumulation of heavy metals is currently not well studied. Mostly caused by different parent rock concentrations, there is a large variability of heavy metal concentrations in basaltic and ultramafic soils. Hence, to minimize environmental risks of enhanced weathering, basalts with low heavy metal concentrations should be favored. Existing phytoremediation strategies may be used to “phytoprevent” the accumulation of nickel and chromium released from enhanced weathering in soils. As a result, elevated nickel and chromium concentrations in rocks must not preclude enhanced weathering in all settings. In particular, hyperaccumulating plants could be used as part of a crop rotation to periodically remove heavy metals from soils. Enhanced weathering could also be employed on fields or forests of (non-hyper) accumulating plants that have a high primary production of biomass. Both approaches may have additional synergies with phytomining or bioenergy carbon capture and storage, increasing the total amount of carbon dioxide drawdown and at the same time preventing heavy metal accumulation in soils.

Experimental study on the analysis of nanocellulose treated water in Yola metropolis, Nigeria

In this study, cellulose from sugarcane bagasse and wood pulp were converted to nanocellulose and utilized to treat water from different sources within Yola Metropolis to study the efficacy of both methods. From the analysed water parameters, both nanocellulose materials were effective in treating contaminated water. They showed the capability of reducing the concentrations of the various tested parameters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Nitrate, Chloride, and Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). Interestingly, analysis of the heavy metal concentrations before and after water treatment with the nanocellulose, showed very significant reduction of the heavy metals. This is encouraging as we explore more efficient methods of water treatment, in order to tackle rising cases of lead and other heavy metal poisoning in Nigeria due to illegal mining activities and deregulated industrial activities. Dans cette recherche, la cellulose de la bagasse de canne à sucre et de la pulpe de bois a été converties en nanocellulose et utilisées pour l’épuration d’eau de différentes sources au sein de Yola Metropolis afin d’étudier l’efficacité des deux méthodes. D’après les paramètres d’eau analysés avec les deux types de nanocelluloses étaient efficaces dans le traitement de l’eau contaminée. Ils ont considérablement réduit les concentrations des différents contaminants testés tels que le TDS, le nitrate, le chlorure et le NTU. En effet, l’analyse de la concentration en métaux lourds avant et après le traitement de l’eau avec la nanocellulose a montré une réduction très significative des métaux lourds. C’est une bonne chose car nous explorons des méthodes plus efficaces de traitement de l’eau, pour lutter contre l’augmentation des cas d’empoisonnement au plomb et à d’autres métaux lourds au Nigeria en raison d’activités minières illégales et d’activités industrielles non réglementées.