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Abstract
This work evaluated the potential of Catharanthus roseus in phytoremediation of As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn in sewage sludge-based substrates. C. roseus was cultivated for 108 days in a treatment containing sewage sludge:vermiculite (70:30%) and in the control with 100% commercial substrate. The plants cultivated in sludge showed approximately four times greater height, number of leaves and stem diameter, as well as 89% higher fresh mass than those of the control. The highest concentrations of the metals were obtained in the roots of plants grown in the sludge, and ranged from 2.04 (Cd) to 1121 mg kg−1 (Zn). Cu, Cd and Zn had a higher bioconcentration factor than 1 in both treatments. On the other hand, the translocation factor value in the control was greater than 1 for Ba, Cd, Cu, Ni, Se and Zn. The results showed that C. roseus was efficient in the phytoremediation of the evaluated metals, in which the translocation process was progressive in the treatment that presented higher metal content.
Acknowledgements
The authors of this paper thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ) (project number 420637/2016-8), the Research Support Foundation of the state of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) (APQ-01429-16), and the Coordination for the Qualification of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES). They also thank the Institute of Agriculture Science of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (ICA-UFMG) for the infrastructure and execution of this study.
Declaration of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.