INFLUENCE OF TANNERY EFFLUENT POTENTIALLY ON PHYTOREMEDIATION OF HEAVY METALS AND SALTS BY TWO HALOPHYTIC SPECIES IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE SWEET AND CLERODENDRON INERME (L.) GAERTNA. VENKATESANAbstract Tannery effluent is common in throughout the world and it pollutes groundwater ecosystem to produce major amount of heavy metals and it causes to reduce the agricultural crop yield. Phytoremediation of some heavy metals (P, Cr, Cd, Cu and Zn) from that application of diluted tannery effluent by two halophytic species Ipomoea pes-caprae and Clerodendron inerme was observed in this study. Both the halophytic species are accumulating type and the maximum accumulation of heavy metals was found in the leaves of Ipomoea pes-caprae when compared to other species of Clerodendron inerme. It is estimated from 1 kg dry weight of plant sample Ipomoea pes-caprae accumulated 142.10 mg P, 75.86 mg Cr, 53.06 mg Cd, 83.26 mg Cu and 103.75 mg Zn and in Clerodendron inerme (127.27 mg P, 64.60 mg Cr, 46.82 mg Cd, 71.65 mg Cu and 91.64 mg Zn) after 120 days treatment. Nearly 15% of heavy metals and salts removed from effluent soil and frequently cultivated both the species of tannery effluent soil to reduce the toxic level and future used in this soil for agricultural purpose crop improvement. |