The Potential of Lepidium sativum for Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soil with Cadmium

The phytoremediation process was conducted under laboratory conditions with the use of garden cress plants (Lepidium sativum). Soil samplings of 0-20 cm depth were taken. Lepidium sativum plantlets were planted in pots containing 3 kg of these soils. The experiment consisted of 4 treatments including soil without cadmium (T1), soil contaminated with 2 mg/kg concentration of cadmium (T2), soil contaminated with 4 mg/kg concentration of cadmium (T3), soil contaminated with 8 mg/kg concentration of cadmium (T4) were taken as experimental unit. Samples were taken for testing, after 35 days. Physical and chemical characteristics of soil were measured before and after the test. These results showed that the Lepidium sativum is an effective accumulator plant for phytoremediation of cadmium polluted soils. The results also showed that the increasing contaminated to 8 (ppm) increased phytoremediation of cadmium from soil by Lepidium sativum. Accumulation of Cd in roots was more than in shoots.