Bioaccumulation of Nickel and Lead by Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) and Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) from Two Contaminated Soils

Soil and sediments of the estuaries and wetlands in Northwest of Persian Gulf are recently polluted with different heavy metals because of municipal and industrial wastewaters. Therefore an urgent soil cleaning up and remediation program is vital in this region. Consequently, this study was initiated to screen two plant species (Festuca arundinacea and Cynodon dactylon) for hyperaccumulation of nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) as one of the candidate methods for cleaning-up soil and sediments of Shadegan wetland. Soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected from two sites in the wetland. The soil samples were treated with solutions of Ni and Pb separately which resulted into content of 50 and 100 mg kg-1 of metals in each soil. Thereafter, the plants were sown in the soils under greenhouse conditions and harvested after 10 weeks. Ni and Pb contents were measured in root and shoot of plants. Results showed that accumulation of Ni and Pb in tall fescue roots were significantly (P