Phytoremediation Efficiency of Flax (<em>Linum usitatissium</em> L.) of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil in the Kwashe Industrial Region Using Soil Amendments

Muhammed, Ghareeb Ali; Hashim, Farhad Ali

doi:10.58928/ku26.17214

	Phytoremediation Efficiency of Flax (Linum usitatissium L.) of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil in the Kwashe Industrial Region Using Soil Amendments
Kirkuk University Journal for Agricultural Sciences (KUJAS)
Volume 17, Issue 2, June 2026, Pages 124-135 PDF (666.4 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.58928/ku26.17214
Authors
Ghareeb Ali Muhammed^* ¹; Farhad Ali Hashim²
¹Duhok university
²Soil & Water Science Department, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Duhok, IRAQ
Abstract
The study was conducted in the contaminated soils surrounding the petroleum refineries and iron scrap recycling factories in the Kwashe Industrial region, Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Soils were taken from the surface at a depth of 0-20 cm. A pot experiment was carried out in a greenhouse to evaluate the effectiveness of using chelating agents such as humic acid and biochar at a concentration of 5 g kg⁻¹ of soil and ammonium nitrite (NH₄NO₃) at a concentration of 230 mg kg⁻¹ of soil, as well as the control. Flax (Linum usitatissium) was used to remove Zn, Cd, and Pb from the contaminated soil. The results showed a significant increase in Zn, Pb, and Cd in flax shoots and roots when treated with different amendments. The high uptake of metals with the addition of amendments was in the following order: BC > HA > AN, while for roots, the increase was in the following order: HA > BC > AN. Biochar effectively enhanced the uptake and accumulation of Zn and Pb in flax shoots, while the humic acid enhanced the uptake of Cd in flax shoots. The results also revealed that flax is successful for accumulating these metals in its shoots and roots, but the roots accumulated much more than the shoots, and the bioconcentration factor (BCF > 1) and the translocation factor (TF ˂ 1) showed that flax roots could be used as a good phytostabilizer for those soil that has been contaminated with Zn, Pb, and Cd
Keywords
Keywords: Phytoremediation; Chelating agents; Flax; Zinc; Cadmium; Lead
Supplementary Files KUJAS-2510-1471 Revised.pdf
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Phytoremediation Efficiency of Flax (Linum usitatissium L.) of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil in the Kwashe Industrial Region Using Soil Amendments