Experimental Study of Vetiver Phytoremediation on Compost Clay with Chromium (Cr) and Cadmium (Cd) Contaminant

Abstract

A study was conducted to analyze the absoption and reduction capacity of cadmium and chromium metal in clay soil and clay soil plus compost artificiallly polluted with several Cd and Cr concentrations after phytoremediation process using several number of vetiver (Vetiverazizanioides) plants/ pot growing. The study testing 18 treatment combinations which were consisted of three Cr concentration (400, 6000, and 800 ppm), three number of vetiver plants (3, 6, and 9 plants/ pot), two growing media (clay and 80% clay + 20% compost). The more number of plants and the higher concentration of metals Cd, the higher capacity reduction Cd metals in the soil and the higher Cd metal absorption by vetiver plants. The higher number of vetiver plants grown the higher Cd and Cr in clay and clay plus compost media were absorbed and reduced. The levels of Cd and Cr in clay and clay plus compost media absorbed were followed by the more reduction of Cd and Cr