Effect of amendment on phytoextraction of arsenic by Vetiveria Zizanioides from soil

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the growth response of Vetiveria zizanioides amended with organic amendments to arsenic [As] in contaminated soils and its ability to sequester As. The test results indicate that the plants exhibited high tolerance to As in the soils and their normal growth continued even though As concentration reached 500 mg/kg. However, when As concentrations in soils were in the range of 1000-2000 mg/kg the plants could not survive no matter whether the soils were amended. The accumulation of As in roots [185.4 mg/kg] was higher than that in shoots [100.6 mg/kg]. The As level in the contaminated soil was reduced from 500 mg/kg to 214 mg/kg after six months of As phytoextraction. Microbial population was not affected in the As contaminated soil amended with dairy sludge, mycorrhizae and Azotobacter