Contamination of soil by copper (Cu) has become a serious problem throughout the world, causing the reduction of agricultural yield and harmful effects on human health by entering the food chain. A glasshouse pot experiment was designed to evaluate the potential use of halloysite as an immobilizing agent in the aided phytostabilization of Cu-contaminated soil, using Festuca rubra L. The content of Cu in plants, i.e., total and extracted by 0.01 M CaCl₂, was determined using the method of spectrophotometry. Cu content in the tested parts of F. rubra differed significantly when halloysite was applied to the soil, as well as with increasing concentrations of Cu. The addition of halloysite significantly increased plant biomass. Cu accumulated in the roots, thereby reducing its toxicity to the aerial parts of the plant. The obtained values of bioconcentration and translocation factors observed for halloysite treatment indicate the effectiveness of using F. rubra in phytostabilization techniques.

Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology Faculty of AgriSciences Mendel University in Brno Zemědělská 1 613 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Environmental Improvement Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering Warsaw University of Life Sciences Nowoursynowska 159 02 776 Warsaw Poland

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Concept of Aided Phytostabilization of Contaminated Soils in Postindustrial Areas