Phytoremediation Potentials of Cassia Occidentalis and Cassia Tora grown in Challawa industrial area, Kano state

Abstract

Phytoremediation refers to the use of green plants to remove, contain or render pollutants harmless. Phytoremediation is a new and emerging technology that utilizes the ability of some plants to clean contaminated soil. The technology is well known and established in the developed countries but its use in the tropics is limited. The phytoremediation potentials of two local plant species, Senna Occidentalis, and Cassia Tora was evaluated in squared plots of land experiments watered using heavy metals contaminated effluents from the Challawa Industrial area, Kano. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomised design with two plants at the Effluent and pollution monitoring centre, zawaciki Kano. Samples of plants were harvested after 30 days. The concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe,Ni, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed in samples of the plant organs (roots, stem, leaves and whole plants) using the UV Spectrophotometer. Results obtained showed that S. Occidentalis was the best accumulator for all heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe,Ni, Pb, and Zn) among the two plants used for the experiment. Generally more metals were accumulated in the leaves and stem than in the roots of plants. The highest metal accumulation ratios were recorded for Fe, Cu and then Zn in the leaves of Cassia Occidentalis.