SCREENING OF CHROMIUM TOLERANCE POTENTIAL OF FEW WEEDS OF KOLKATA AND ASSESSMENT OF PHYTOEXTRACTION EFFICIENCY

Abstract

Soil polluted with heavy metals due to anthropogenic activities remains a great problem all over the globe especially in the developing countries. Agricultural processes, industrialization and domestic activities cause the increase of heavy metals in soils. Risk from the hexavalent chromium has become a worldwide concern. Chromium causes adverse impact on plant and animal health. The present study deals with the comparative estimation of Cr tolerance capacity of five common weed species (Amaranthus viridis, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Euphorbia hirta, Solanum nigrum, Portulaca oleracea) of Kolkata collected from Cr contaminated leather tanning industrial area of Bantala and car painting factory of Budgebudge. Among these Amaranthaceae family was found to be the most Cr tolerant species attributed to their enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidative defence. Calculative analysis of phytoextraction potential of A. philoxeroides was established.