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4633889 
Journal Article 
Phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils by Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Terminalia arjuna and Salix tetrasperma 
Ahmad, FUdDin; Ahmad, N; Masood, KR; Hussain, M; Malik, MF; Qayyum, A 
2018 
Yes 
Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality
ISSN: 1613-9216 
91 
8-13 
WOS:000429640600002 
Rising levels of arsenic in ground water posing threats to the lives of millions of people residing in the Indus plains, whereas the magnitude of the risk is alarming that needs to control arsenic from leaching down into the ground water becomes essential. The study was designed to assess the potential of three tree seedlings to reclaim the arsenic-affected soils in Pakistan and determining the impact of arsenic on growth parameters and its accumulation in tree seedlings. The experiment conducted at the Botanical Garden, University of the Punjab, Lahore, revealed that Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Terminalia arjuna and Salix tetrasperma showed varying adaptability to survive under the arsenic stress environment, suggesting them as strong candidates to be exploited for arsenic remediation. Arsenictreated tree seedlings showed reduced growth in terms of stem height (21.76%), stem diameter (25%), number of branches (22.3%), number of leaves (21%), root length (24.8%), total plant length (25.6%), fresh biomass production (40%) and dry biomass production (49%) as compared to plants grown without arsenic treatment. Arsenic accumulated in all vegetative parts of the seedlings, however maximum arsenic accumulation was recorded in roots of E. camaldulensis (37.25 mg kg(-1)) followed by S. tetrasperma (35.76 mg kg(-1)) and T. arjuna (24.13 mg kg(-1)) when arsenic was applied at a concentration of 4.0 mg L-1. The study has shown that these tree species can be grown on arsenic-contaminated fields to reclaim the soil from arsenic content resulting in its substantial reduction in leaching to the groundwater. The results suggest that E. camaldulensis plants accumulated maximum arsenic in its vegetative parts and confirmed it as a tree species with a potential of arsenic phyto-extraction and a good candidate for phytoremediation. 
Arsenic accumulation; metalloid; phytoremediation; reclamation