ABSTRACT
A directional leaching in drip irrigation along with intercropping was developed for enhanced phytoremediation of soils contaminated with arsenic (As). Spatiotemporal variations of As levels in soil and effects of irrigation eluents on As migration were analyzed in drip irrigation. Moreover, accumulated levels of As in Zea mays L. and Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis (the intercropping species) under drip irrigation and flood irrigation were compared to evaluate the enhancement on phytoremediation by drip irrigation. Results showed that As exhibited a directional migration in soil under drip irrigation, in which the solution of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (PDP) as the eluent significantly promoted As directional migration in soil. Compared to the flood-irrigated intercropping treatments, the As levels in crops (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) decreased significantly and that of remediating plants (Zea mays L. seedlings) increased significantly under the drip-irrigated intercropping condition. Drip irrigation coupled with intercropping dramatically reduced the risk of As contamination in crops and improved the phytoremediation of As-contaminated soil. PDP further enhanced the disparate effect of drip irrigation on As accumulation by crops and remediation plants.