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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #105974
Title: AN INTEGRATED INVESTIGATION OF THE PHYTOREMEDIATION OF HEAVY METAL AND RADIONUCLIDE CONTAMINATED SOILS: FROM THE LABORATORY TO THE FIELD

Author
item EBBS, STEPHEN - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Kochian, Leon
item LASAT, MITCH - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item PENCE, NICOLE - CORNELL UNVERSITY
item JIANG, TINGHUI - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/23/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We have been conducting research into the phytoremediation of contaminated soils that spans from basic research into the molecular biology and physiology of heavy metal (zinc) hyperaccumulation in plant shoots, to field trials testing different plant species and agronomic amendments for the phytoextraction of radiocesium from contaminated sites. In this chapter we review this research as it relates to the emerging field of phytoremediation. The basic research will focus on an integrated molecular and physiological examination of Zn transport in the hyperaccumulator, Thlaspi caerulescens. Soil-oriented research in the laboratory will focus on uranium speciation in the soil solution, the uptake and translocation of different U species into the plant shoot, and the efficacy of chelates in increasing the bioavailability of U in soils and inducing U hyperaccumulation in the shoot. Finally, integrated greenhouse and field trials have focused on increasing the bioavailability of 137Cs in aged, contaminated soils and the potential for using plants to remediate a radiocesium contaminated site.