Assessing potential of weeds (Acalypha indica and Amaranthus viridis) in phytoremediating soil contaminated with heavy metals-rich effluent

This study presents the phytoremediation potential of two species Acalypha indica and Amaranthus viridis grown over soil spiked with two doses of paint industry effluent (i.e., 50% and 100%) containing four heavy metals Pb, Zn, Cr and Cu. The species were allowed to grow in the effluent spiked soil for a period of 45 days in which they were harvested and given for heavy metal analysis. The species were checked for the accumulation of Pb, Zn, Cr and Cu in its root, shoot and the residual in the soil. The accumulation across all the treatments was highly significant ( P 1 only for Cr, while it was 1 for Zn and Cr and