Phytoremediation of soils contaminated with zinc using ornamental plants of the species Zinnia elegans Jacq. e Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC
Name: JULIANA ZAMBOM PIASSI
Publication date: 22/04/2025
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| DOUGLAS GOMES VIANA | Examinador Externo |
| FABIO RIBEIRO PIRES | Presidente |
| IVONEY GONTIJO | Examinador Interno |
Summary: Phytoremediation is a sustainable and low-cost technology for the decontamination of areas polluted with heavy metals, such as zinc (Zn). Although the use of ornamental plants in phytoremediation is promising, it is still poorly reported. Therefore, aiming to
explore the use of ornamental plants in the phytoremediation of Zn, this work was structured in two stages, each composing a chapter of the dissertation. In the first stage, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to investigate the state of the art in phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals using ornamental plants. A quantitative survey on the topic (2004-2024) was performed using the Scopus database, and the software SigmaPlot and VOSviewer were employed to create graphs and connection maps. The results revealed an increase in research on this subject, with 100 documents published, highlighting scientific contributions from China, India, and Pakistan. Environmental Science and Pollution Research stood out as the most influential journal, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences emerged as the leading research institution. In the second stage, the performance of Zinnia elegans Jacq. (zinnia) and Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC. (ornamental kale) was evaluated in sandy and clay soils contaminated with Zn. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted, one for each soil type, using a randomized block design in a 5x2 factorial scheme. Treatments consisted of four Zn doses plus a control (0, 50, 100, 300 e 450 mg dm-3), applied as ZnSO4·7H2O, and two plant species, with four replications.Morphological attributes, phytotoxicity, pigments, and Zn in the soil and plants were evaluated. The increase in Zn doses negatively affected the production of shoot and root biomass in the plants. Both species were not efficient in extracting Zn from the soils. Ornamental kale showed greater tolerance to Zn stress.
