Phytoremediation Potential of Brassica juncea for removal of selected heavy metals in urban soil amended with cow dung

Soil is a necessary and integrated system for the right growth of the plant. Due to various anthropogenic activities the soils get contaminated by both organic and inorganic ions specifically heavy metals. Increase in the concentration of heavy metals in soils is due to various industrial activities, indiscriminate usage of fertilizer, pesticides, benthic sludge and petro chemicals spillages, etc. Phytoremediation is an important and economically viable remediation technique which supports the heavy metal removal from soil, which is the objective of the current study. The study was carried out through pot experiments for a period of 81 days, analysis was carried out both in soils and plants. Physico-chemical parameters like pH, Electrical Conductivity, Organic Matter and Organic Carbon were analyzed in soil on 0d, 21d, 51d and 81d. Heavy metal analysis were performed through ICP-MS in both plant and soil samples. Translocation Factor and Metal Extraction Ratio were calculated to assess the uptake of metals by Brassica juncea. Results revealed that uptake of Lead has been greater than other heavy metals and based on Translocation Factor, Brassica juncea act as hyperaccumulator.