ROLE OF PHYTOREMEDIATION IN REMOVAL OF CADMIUM FROM SOIL FERTILIZED WITH PHOSPHORUS AND IRRIGATED WITH SALINE WATER

Abstract

Biological experiment (Pot experiment) was conducted on the soils (Location Garmat Ali-Basrah University. Cadmium was added at four rates (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0) mg Cd kg-1 soil as CdCl2 salt irrigation water. Phosphate fertilizer as concentrated superphosphate (20.21% P) was added with three rates (0, 18 and 36) mg P kg-1 soil. Three levels of irrigation water salinity were used (1, 3 and 6) dS m-1 as NaCl salt. Soils were irrigated to field capacity, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeding were planted in factorial experiment with complete randomized design with the soils before planting. Plants were harvested after 45 days after planting and then oven dried at 65 C to constant weight. Plant tissues (shoots) dry weight was recorded and digested in order to determine cadmium and phosphate concentrations.. The results were summarized as follows: Increasing cadmium levels and salinity of irrigation water caused decreasing in dry weigh, uptake of shoots of sunflower plant for studied soil as compared with control treatment, while increasing phosphate fertilizing rate caused increasing dry weight of shoots of sunflower plant in studied soil.