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Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil Using Drought-Adapted Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in Arid Regions of Kazakhstan

Summary

Researchers found that sweet sorghum, a drought-tolerant crop, can effectively clean soil contaminated with toxic metals in Kazakhstan’s dry regions. By carefully selecting genotypes that were both adapted to harsh conditions and showed strong growth in laboratory tests, they demonstrated that the plants accumulate lead, cadmium, and cobalt primarily in their roots, making them safe for harvesting. This plant-based approach offers an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to expensive traditional soil cleanup methods.

Background

Soil contamination with heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and cobalt) is a persistent environmental challenge in arid regions of Kazakhstan due to decades of intensive mining and industrial activities. Conventional remediation methods are limited by technical, economic, and ecological constraints. Phytoremediation using plants adapted to arid conditions offers a sustainable alternative approach.

Objective

This study evaluated the phytoremediation potential of drought-adapted sweet sorghum genotypes through in vitro culture analysis and controlled pot experiments to assess heavy metal accumulation, translocation, and phytostabilization capacity in contaminated soils under arid conditions.

Results

Hybrid-2 and SAB-3 showed the highest morphogenic callus formation (27.94% and 23.28% respectively). Metal analysis demonstrated root-dominant accumulation patterns with translocation factors below 1 for all three metals, particularly for lead. Remediation efficiency ranged from 30.3-62.7% for cobalt, 81.7-88.1% for cadmium, and 89.3-89.7% for lead.

Conclusion

Sweet sorghum demonstrates effective phytoremediation potential for lead, cadmium, and cobalt-contaminated soils under arid conditions, functioning as both a phytoextractor and phytostabilizer. Pre-selection of drought-adapted genotypes with superior morphogenic response in vitro and proven field adaptation optimizes phytoremediation performance and sustainability in Kazakhstan’s arid regions.
  • Published in:Plants (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 41375339, DOI: 10.3390/plants14233627
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