Effect of EDTA and citric acid on absorption of heavy metals and growth of Moso bamboo

The effect of EDTA and citric acid on accumulation, toxicity of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb), and growth of Moso bamboo was investigated in current experiment. The availability of heavy metals in soil and its uptake by plants has indicated toxicity. The results revealed that EDTA and citric acid has reduced biomass of Moso bamboo but non-significant difference in biomass was observed compared with control. Application of EDTA (10 mmol kg−1) has significantly improved copper (Cu) by 56.5 and 84.9% in roots and above ground parts of plants. Application of EDTA (10 mmol kg−1) has significantly enhanced lead (Pb) by 51.8 and 210.8% in roots and above ground parts of Moso bamboo. Furthermore, treatment of EDTA has significantly improved activities of water-soluble Cd, Cu, and Pb in soil by 98.9, 70.1, and 73.1 times compared with control. In case of contents of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable metals, the treatment of EDTA (10 mmol kg−1) has produced maximum increase of 244.5 mg kg−1 Zn and 157.9 mg kg−1 Pb, respectively. It is concluded that effect of EDTA was superior compared with citric acid for improvement of phytoremediation potential of Moso bamboo.