The potential of Pandanus Amaryllifolius as a heavy metal accumulator

Over the years, former tin mine site are actively used as agriculture and aquaculture
activities. Contamination from past mining activities had been a major concern since
the early times when commercial mining were introduced. Studies have indicated
that crops cultivated on tin tailings have been found to contain alarming levels of
Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs).
Phytoextraction is the name given to the process where plant roots uptake metal
contaminants from the soil and translocate them to their above soil tissues. As
different plant have different abilities to uptake and withstand high levels of
pollutants many different plants may be used. This is of particular importance on
sites that have been polluted with more than one type of metal contaminant.
Phytoremediation is an energy efficient, aesthically pleasing method of remediating
sites with low to moderate levels of contamination and it can be used in conjuction
with other more traditional remedial methods as a fmishing step to the remedial
process. In many cases phytoremediation has been found to be less than half the
price of alternative methods.
Pandanus Amaryllifolius or locally known as 'pandan' can be found rare in the wild
and is used widely for cooking and traditional medical treatment. The innovation of
technologies has proved that pandan can also be used for insect repellent. This
research will look into the potential of using pandan as a heavy metal accumulator in
the remediation of contaminated former mining land. The heavy metal in focus is
Lead (Pb).
The experiment will involve different concentrations ofPb in the soil and analyse the
uptake from different part of the plant The concentration for Pb are 2500 ppm, 3750
ppm and 5000 ppm and the parts investigated will be the leaves and root of the plant.