Evaluating the Efficacy of 𝘗𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘢 in Arsenic Remediation from Contaminated Soils

Soil contamination with arsenic is a major environmental problem worldwide. Phytoremediation using hyperaccumulator plants is an emerging green strategy to remove arsenic from soils. This study assessed the arsenic phytoremediation potential of Pteris vittata, an arsenic hyperaccumulator fern, under increasing soil arsenic concentrations in a greenhouse pot experiment. Pteris vittata plants were grown in clay loam spiked with 0-100 mg arsenic kg-1. Results showed dose-dependent increases in arsenic accumulation, with 36.56 mg arsenic kg-1 in roots and 24.95 mg arsenic kg-1 in shoots at 100 mg arsenic kg-1 soil. Although high arsenic decreased biomass by 25.76%, Pteris vittata achieved exceptional remediation capacity up to 746.01 g arsenic ha-1 yr-1. The extremely high arsenic assimilation in plant tissues supports regular harvesting as an efficient means to extract and remove soil arsenic contamination while preventing leaching. Despite some toxicity to plants under prolonged extreme exposure, Pteris vittata exhibits great potential for cost-effective, eco-friendly phytoremediation of arsenic-polluted soils through mass cultivation and prudent agronomic management. Further field trials are recommended to verify performance for sustainable remediation of vast areas of arsenic-contaminated lands globally.