The Effect of Ripe Plantain Peels Waste on the Phytoextraction of Pb and Cd by Echinochloa colona (L.) Link

This research work was to investigate the effect of plantain peels of various concentrations to induce the bioaccumulation of Pb and Cd in Echinochloa colona planted in heavy metal contaminated soil. Two (2) kilograms of homogenous heavy metal contaminated soil composite was weighed into polythene bags arranged in 4 batches (1, 2, 3, 4) alongside uncontaminated soil (batch 5) of 12 replications each. Then 100g, 200g and 300g of the powdered ripe plantain peels (waste) was added as amendment into batches 1, 2, 3, respectively, and batches 4 and 5 were without plantain peel (0g) addition designated as control and double control respectively. Two seedlings of Echinochloa colona was transplanted from the nursery into all the batches. The plant and soil samples were analyzed at two month interval for Cd and Pb contents using anatomical absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The accumulation of Pb was higher in plants than in soil with Bioaccumulation factor > 1 in 200g and 300g plantain peel treated soil. Also 300g plantain peels treated soil had greater Cd concentration in shoot than root with (translocation factor (TF) > 1) at month 2 and 4, while the Bioaccumulation factor > 1 was observed in all treatments at 2 and 4 month for Cd. Therefore, 300g plantain peels treatment is effective in enhancing the availability, mobility and uptake of Cd. This indicated that 300g plantain peel (waste) is effective in the remediation of Cd polluted soil using Echinochloa colona as a remediating agent