Comparative Investigation of Different Plant Species for Heavy Metal Removal through Phytoremediation

Heavy metal accumulation in soil is a widespread concern due to the rapid infiltration of high contaminant loads into the groundwater aquifers. Phytoremediation is a promising biosolution for the removal of such hazardous substances. This study is an attempt to compare the potential of different agronomic (Abelmoschus esculentus, Vigna unguiculata ssp. Sesquipedalis), aromatic (Mentha, Ocimum tenuiflorum), medicinal (Catharanthus roseus, Aloe vera) plants in phytoremediation. Pot experiments were carried out with soil artificially spiked with heavy metals and compared to the control soil samples. Results indicate phytotoxicity signs in the growth and yield characteristics of the plants in contaminated soil. The medicinal plants and Ocimum tenuiflorum outperformed the other plant species in terms of germination, survival, and biomass yield. The plants showed higher removal of Zn (45%) in comparison to Pb (35%) and Cd (33%). The inferences highlight the higher heavy metal phytoremediation potential of medicinal plants and basil over agronomic crops.