Effect of soil characteristics on Cd uptake by the hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens

The influence of soil characteristics on the phytoremediation potential of Thlaspi caerulescens is not well understood. We investigated the effect of soil pH and Cd concentration on plant Cd uptake on one soil type, and the variation in Cd uptake using a range of field contaminated soils. On soils with total Cd concentrations of 0.6–3.7 mg kg−1, T. caerulescens (the Ganges ecotype) produced greater biomass in the pH range 5.1–7.6 than at pH 4.4. The highest plant Cd concentration (236 mg kg−1) and Cd uptake (228 μg pot−1) were observed at pH 5.1. On soils with total Cd concentrations of 2.6–314.8 mg kg−1, shoot Cd concentrations were 10.9–1196 mg kg−1. Multiple regression analysis indicated that higher Cd in soil, low pH (within the range of >5) and coarser texture were associated with higher Cd concentration and Cd uptake by T. caerulescens.