Abstract

 There is a lot of concern about the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment. Phytoremidiation is a process, environmentally friendly and cost-effective technology to clean up heavy metals and the other toxic compounds from contaminated environments. Mercury contamination is ubiquitous in the Y-12 watershed of Oak Ridge, TN and has been identified as a key contaminate in soil, sediment, surface water, and ground water. The objectives of this study were to apply phytoremidiation to mercury contamination in soil and to study the phytoremidiation process, including metal uptake, complexation, and translocation by microscopy, chemical analysis, and spectral reflectance. We have tested two kinds of Indian mustard, Long standing and Florida broadleaf to phytoremidiation soils contaminated with various forms of mercury (mercury chloride, mercury nitrate, mercury sulfide). We have found the Indian mustard had a high capacity of uptake and translocation of Hg from contaminated soils. 
Physiological changes in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) plants due to uptake and accumulation of Hg were investigated.  The result of this study indicates that heavy metal at higher concentration have a profound impact on physiology and internal structure of plants which in turn, affected the spectral reflectance. Leaves, stems and roots were harvested for studying anatomy and metal accumulation. The majority of the Hg accumulated in the root and the remaining of the Hg accumulation was tranlocated to the shoot.