Bioaccumulation of cadmium, chromium and copper by Convolvulus arvensis L.: impact on plant growth and uptake of nutritional elements

The remediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites using plants presents a promising alternative to current methodologies. In this study, the potential accumulation of Convolvulus arvensis L. for Cd(II), Cr(VI), and Cu(II) was determined using an agar-based medium. The shoots of C. arvensis plants exposed to 20 mgl(-1) of these heavy metals, demonstrated capability to accumulate more than 3800 mg of Cr, 1500 mg of Cd, and 560 mg of Cu per kg of dry tissue. The outcome of this study and the field data previously reported corroborate that C. arvensis is a suitable candidate for the phytoremediation of Cd(II), Cr(VI), and Cu(II) contaminated soils. Furthermore, the concentration of Cr determined in the dry leaf tissue (2100 mgkg(-1)) indicates that C. arvensis could be considered as a potential Cr-hyperaccumulator plant species.