PHYTOREMEDIATION ABILITY OF TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill)

IN SOILS ARTIFICIALLY CONTAMINATED WITH LEAD AND MERCURY

A Concept Paper Presented to the Science Department of Senior High School Faculty

of the Makati Science High School

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for

Capstone Research

By

Julius Caezar C. Chavez

Jovie Rose M. Gumboc

Ma. Elena G. Villaraiz

2017
 Introduction
*BOGS YUNG INUMPISAHAN KO SA LAPTOP MO*

Statement of the Problem

Environmental pollution from increasing industrial activities has become one of the
severe global problems of modern times. One of the major environmental pollution caused by
various productions from industries is heavy metals contamination in the air and soil (Gaur &
Adholeya, 2004). Heavy metals are poisonous to almost all living organisms but many
organisms have tried to survive using different mechanisms possible (Scheller et.al, 1987).
And with the heavy rise of technology and demand in buildings and infrastructures, heavy
metals pose a big risk to living organisms that it may affect.
Although living organisms can tolerate numerous ranges of heavy metals, still at
excessive levels several body systems of organism could be damaged (Chronopoulos et al.,
1997). Because of this hazardous nature of heavy metals to human health, monitoring of the
environmental burden of heavy metals is an important ecological interest (Onianwa & Ajayi,
2002; Peng et al., 2006).
This problem will continue to escalate in the future if not addressed immediately. In
this regard, the proposed research project will determine whether it would be possible to use
tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) as a phytoremediant in soils contaminated with heavy
metals, specifically lead and mercury.
 Project Description
The proposed research project will be organized into two phases, namely, the
Collection and Extraction Phase and the Analysis and Reporting Phase as illustrated below:

Collection and Experimental Phase

Analysis and Reporting Phase
Collection of Soil Samples and
Plant Materials Data Gathering and Statistical
Experimental Treatments Analysis
Plant Cultivation and Harvest Reporting of Results
Drying of Plant Samples

Overall, the study requires a series of procedures and some of it require specialised
equipment and expertise. The project will involve the collection of materials and samples
required for the experiments.

Methodology
Experimental Materials and Procedures
The soil to be used in this study will be coming from (PLACE NG
PAGKUKUHANAN NG SOILS BESH). (NUMBER OF PLASTIC POTS) plastic pots
(DIMENSIONS) will be prepared, two will contain uncontaminated soil, two each will
contain soil with low-level metal contaminations (25 mg/L Hg as HgCl2; 25 mg/L Pb as
Pb(NO3)2), and another two will contain high-level metal contamination (100 mg/L Hg; 100
mg/L Pb) (Andal, 2014).

Plant Cultivation and Harvest

Tomato seeds will be germinated in trays filled with farm soil. The trays will be kept
under greenhouse conditions with all agricultural managements required for the production of
tomato seedlings as usually recommended till germination (Gad et al. 2007). At three-leaf
stage, seedlings with uniform stem thickness will be transplanted into the potted soil
contaminated with low and high levels of metals. When the tomato plants will be ready for
the harvesting stage, its final height will be measure and the amount of heavy metal will be
analysed and determined in its leaves, stem, roots, and fruits.

Drying of Plant Samples

Plant samples will be dried in the oven at 100C for 40-60 minutes and will be put
into the furnace at 450C for another 60-90 minutes until ash appear (Angelova et al. 2004;
Ching et al. 2008). Soil samples will also be dried in the oven for 60-90 minutes at 100-
105C. Soil samples were also oven dried for 60-90 min at 100-105C. A representative
sample was taken by quartering technique and ground to pass a 60-mesh sieve. About 0. 5 g
of the sample was weighed into the porcelain crucible and ignited at 450C in a furnace to
destroy the organic matter (Mitra 2003; Ching et al. 2008).

Data Gathering and Statistical Analysis

After 105 days from transplanting (harvesting stage) of growing tomato in
contaminated soils, plants aliquots and soil solution were taken for the concentration analysis
of the heavy metal lead and mercury using graphite furnace atomic absorption
spectrophotometry (Shimadzu AA-6300) at the Chemistry Research Center of De La Salle
University, Taft Avenue, Manila. Each degree of heavy metal concentrations of plant samples
in different treatments were measured using bioconcentration factors (BCF). The BCF for the
four metals in the test plants were calculated by dividing their concentrations in the different
parts of the harvest plant by the total available amounts in the soils (Wang et al. 2002).
Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed in this experimental
research which is set up in triplicate. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to
assess the significant difference in the heavy metal concentrations among different treatments
and different organs of tomato. If there was significant difference, Tukey test method (the
pair-wise comparison test) was used as a post statistical treatment of data to identify pair-wise
differences at 0. 5 significance levels.

Support Needed and Costs

DI KO PA ALAM KUNG ANU ANO MGA ILALAGAY KO DITO
Transportation 2,500.00
Meals 1,000.00
TOTAL

References
Andal F. 2016. Assessment of the Possible Utilization of Tomato as a Phytoremediant in Soils
Artificially Contaminated with Heavy Metals. International Journal of Applied
Environmental Sciences 1: 193-209.
Angelova V, Ivanova R, Ivanov K. 2004. Heavy metal accumulation and distribution in oil
crops. Comm. In Soils Sci. and Plant Anal. 35(17): 2551 2556.
Ching JA, Alejandro, GJD, Binag C. 2008. Uptake and distribution of some heavy metals in
peanuts (Arachishypogaea L. ) grown in artificially contaminated soils. The Philipp. Agric.
Sci. . 91 (2): 134-142.
Gad N., El-Sherif MH, El-Gereedly. 2007. Influence of nickel on some physiological aspects
of tomato plants. Australian J Basic and Applied Sciences. 1(3): 286-293.
Gaur A, Adholeya A (2004) Prospects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in phytoremediation of
heavy metal contaminated soils. Current Science 86: 528-534.
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Hoboken, New Jersey. 227-270.
Onianwa PC, Ajayi SO (2002) Heavy metals content of roadside mosses in the Northern and
South-eastern Regions of Nigeria. Chemistry and Ecology 18: 187-194.
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