DETERMINATION OF Cu, Pb AND Zn IN HORSETAIL (EQUISETUM SPP.) GROWN ON MINE TAILINGS

Abstract

Mine tailings are an unfavourable substrate for the plant growth because of their low pH, high metal and low nutrient contents. Horsetail (Equisetum spp.) is one of the plant species that spontaneously colonize tailings in nonferrous mining areas. The results indicated that despite the high Cu, Pb and Zn contents found in the tailings, only moderate to low concentration of these metals was found in the shoots of horsetail. The bioaccumulation factors calculated as the ratio between the metals concentration in plants and in tailings were low, suggesting the tolerance of horsetail to high metal contents. However, according to the bioaccumulation factors, horsetail does not classify as an accumulator for the studied elements. These results suggest the possibility of using horsetail in the development of remediation strategies for tailings.