Ecological rehabilitation and phytoremediation with four grasses in oil shale mined land
Categories: Phytoremediation literature review
Xia, H. P. (2004). Ecological rehabilitation and phytoremediation with four grasses in oil shale mined land. Chemosphere, 54(3), 345-353.
Vetiver grass, bahia grass, St. Augustine grass, and bana grass (Pennisetum glaucum [in the same family as Switchgrass, used in the NYU NoPark garden]) were used to rehabilitate an oil shale mined area in the Maoming Petro-Chemical Company, located in the southwest of Guadong Province, China. Vetiver was found to have the highest survival rate (99%), followed by bahia (96%), St. Augustine (91%), and lastly bana (62%). Vetiver also had the highest coverage and biomass after six months of observation. Differences in grass uptake of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) was correlated with differences in biomass. There is speculation that fertilizer application abates grasses’ accumulation of heavy metals. In conclusion, vetiver may be the best grass species to rehabilitate oil shale disposal piles.
