Heavy metals uptake and transport by native wild plants: implications for phytoremediation and restoration

Knowing the characteristics and relationships that are important in the accumulation and transfer of heavy metals among native wild plants is beneficial for screening potential accumulator plants and guiding remediation. In this research, nine native wild plants were collected from the Xikuangshan mine in Hunan Province, and the content of heavy metals, bioconcentration factors and translocation factors were determined via analysis. The results showed that the plant rhizosphere was polluted with heavy metals, especially Sb, Hg and Cd. P. aquilinum showed a strong ability to take up and transfer As, Cd, Pb and Zn. I. cylindrica effectively removed Sb from soils, P. vittata removed As and Cd, and D. erythrosora removed Hg and Cd. Native wild plants showed cooperativity to accumulate Cd, Cr, Pb and Zn, similar to As–Cd, As–Cr and As–Pb. There was a significant positive correlation for translocation in Hg–Cd, Hg–Zn, Hg–Pb, Cd–Pb, Cd–Zn, Zn–Cr and Zn–Pb. Knowledge of the ability of native wild plants to take up and transfer heavy metals is useful in screening for potential phytoremediation, and identifying the relationship between heavy metals accumulation and transfer among species will guide the selection of multiple heavy-metal remediation plants.