Comparison of Lead, Cadmium, and Nickel uptake by different organs of Thuja orientalis and Cupressus arizonica from Alborz Industrial Area, ghazvin province

Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remove contaminants from the environment and their safe transfer utilizing the accumulation of heavy metals in plant organs. In this study, in order to compare the ability of plants to absorb cadmium and lead, two tree species of Thuja orientalis and Cupressus arizonica in Alborz industrial town were randomly selected. Thirty trees of each species were selected and different parts of each tree including leaf, stem and root were sampled. Extraction and chemical analysis of all samples were done by Digesdhal device, and then the heavy metals (Lead, Cadmium and Nickel) rate was measured by ICP. The results show that Thoja orientalis can absorb more cadmium and nickel than Cupressus arizonica. Cadmium and nickel rate in the leaves of both species is higher than roots and stems. The comparison of lead absorption rate in organs of two species shows that there was no significant difference between two species, but leaves of two species in comparison with their roots and stems had more lead in their organs. It was concluded that to remove environment contaminant the species selection has to be highly considered.