Page 236 - Plant-Based Remediation Processes

228 M. Griga and M. Bjelkova ´

1
Table 11.6 Examples of HMs absorbtion from square unit (g ha ) by fibre crops above-ground
biomass a
Plant species HM phytoextraction Reference
Cotton Cu: 28; Fe: 626; Mn: 388; Zn: 103 Mullins and Burmester
(Gossypium (1993)
hirsutum)
Fibre flax (Linum Pb: 39; Cu: 54 Grzebisz et al. (1997a, b)
usitatissimum) Cd: 49; Pb: 1,990; Zn: 700 Kos et al. (2003)
Sida (Sida Cu: 30.6; Cd: 25.8; Pb: 27.1; Ni: 32.2; Zn: 387.2; Borkowska et al. (2001)
hermafrodita) Co: 10.8; Mn: 156.9; Fe: 430.8; Cr: 6.2
Hemp (Cannabis Pb: 141; Cu: 377 Grzebisz et al. (1997a, b)
sativa) Cd: 44; Pb: 9,570; Zn: 3,680 Kos et al. (2003)
Cd: 126–830 Linger et al. (2002, 2005)
a
No calculation of time needed for total/partial soil decontamination was reported in above
mentioned papers (speculative estimation ¼ hundreds to tens of years)

11.6 Management and Industrial Processing of Contaminated
Biomass

One of the crucial components of phytoextraction technology is the management
and potential industrial processing of HMs-contaminated biomass. As compared to
other agricultural crops producing sufficiently great biomass and accumulating
heavy metals, flax and hemp has indisputable advantage in the extensive (multipur-
pose) and complete industrial utilisation of harvested biomass (Brouwer 2000;
Karus and Vogt 2004). The use of flax and hemp in textile industry (natural fibres;
supplement to synthetic fibres—linen fabrics, geotextile, agrotextile, insulation and
filtration), pulp-and-paper industry, building and furniture industry (reinforced par-
ticle boards; reinforced building materials—paintings, concrete; composite
polymers; insulation materials), chemical industry (oils, paints and varnishes), car
and airplane industry (inside-door panellings) as well as energy crop (bales of straw,
combustible briquettes, biopetroleum) was in last decade many times documented
ˇ
(Domier 1996; Murphy et al. 1997; Baraniecki et al. 1995;Staud and Bjelkova ´ 1997;
Brouwer 2000; Karus and Vogt 2004). After decades of high-tech developments of
artificial fibres like carbon, aramid and glass it is remarkable that natural grown
fibres have gained a renewed interest, especially as a glass fibre substitute in
automotive industries. Fibres like flax, hemp or jute are cheap, have better stiffness
per unit weight and have a lower impact on the environment (Brouwer 2000). Only
increased content of heavy metals in fibre processed for clothing would represent
¨
some healthy risk and should be carefully monitored (Lukipudis, 2001;Oko Tex
Standard 2005; Szynkowska et al. 2009; Table 11.7). Other industrial products
practically do not represent any healthy risk. Also linseed oil is during seed
processing (pressing) get off the heavy metals (Wislicki et al. 1997; Hocking and
McLaughlin 2000). Thus, heavy metal contaminated flax and hemp raw material
may be processed for many kinds of industrial products with added value which fact
significantly decreases the cost of potential phytoremediation.