Th24 - Monitoring Phytoremediation through ICP-OES: High-Precision Analysis of Heavy Metals in Agriculture Systems

In fifteen words or less, explain the significance of this contribution (Novel Aspect).: High-precision ICP-OES quantifies heavy metal uptake for accurate phytoremediation monitoring in an agricultural system.

Abstract Text:

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) has emerged as a highly reliable and sensitive analytical instrument for multi-elemental quantification. This study emphasizes the application of ICP-OES to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of crops grown in a heavy metal-contaminated agricultural soil. Plant, soil, and water samples were collected from the experimental site at Kentucky State University’s H. R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm. Three soil amendments: chicken, cow and horse manure were applied to the research plot to observe their effect on the phytoremediation ability of radish. Samples were digested using the SW-846 EPA 6010 B method using Nitric acid, and the heavy metals in the samples were quantified using dual mode (axial and radial) in ICP-OES. The ICP-OES introduces atomized samples into high-temperature Argon plasma (~8000K), where the atom gets excited and emits light with specific wavelengths. These emissions are simultaneously detected across multiple channels, providing precise quantification of heavy metals at sub-ppb detection limits. Results indicated that ICP-OES provided high precision and excellent data reliability (RSD < 2%) across all the soil, water and plant samples, with calibration curves (R²) value greater than 0.999 and data validation was conducted through spiked recovery experiments, all showing recoveries between 92-107%. Data visualization was conducted using R software by constructing bar plots of concentration distribution and Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) value, showing the metal uptake pattern. The result showed the BAF value for Cd was above 1, indicating that radish can be used to remediate Cd from the contaminated site. The average concentrations of Pb and Cd in the soil were below the permissible limits set by WHO/FAO. In contrast, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Zn concentrations were above the limit, indicating that the soil is still contaminated with these metals. The analytical resolution of ICP-OES allowed fine differentiation of metal mobility in the radish tissues, contributing to an accurate assessment of phytoremediation potential. Hence, this analytical procedure can significantly contribute to sectors like environmental toxicology, sustainable agriculture, and remediation strategies by providing highly accurate and confident data that can be used for risk assessment, public safety, and resource management.