Heavy Metal Concentrations in Plants Growing on a Copper Mine Spoil in the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Hobbs RJ and Streit B. 1986. Heavy Metal Concentrations in Plants Growing on a Copper Mine Spoil in the Grand Canyon, Arizona. The American Midland Naturalist. 115(2):277-281
Concentrations of metals including manganese, nickel, copper and zinc were measured in soil from a copper mine spoil heap in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, and in three plant species growing on the spoil. The soil had high concentrations of available copper and zinc, and the herbaceous perennial {IThlaspi montanum} var {Ifendleri} contained amounts of Ni, Cu and Zn in direct proportion to the soil concentrations (EDTA extractable). Another herbaceous perennial {IThlaspi austromontana}, and the woody perennial {IJuniperus osteosperma} had considerably lower amounts of these elements. These findings are discussed in relation to other studies, and it is suggested that figures for metal accumulation by plants should always be related to plant-available soil concentrations.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Hobbs, Richard; Streit, Bruno
- Units
- GRCA
- Keywords
- alpine pennycress (Thlaspi montanum), Copper (Cu), desert phlox (Phlox austromontana), Heavy Metals, Manganese (Mn), Mines, Nickel (Ni), NPSRecord, Plants, Soils, Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), Zinc (Zn)