Effect of surfactants and EDTA on cadmium bioaccumulation by Brassica juncea var. multiceps

The pot-experiments with the treatments involving surfactants and chelators EDTA were conducted to investigate their enhancement of cadmium accumulation of Brassica juncea var. multiceps. The results showed that the key factor affecting cadmium uptake was the surfactant types, which anionic and nonionic surfactants were more effective than cationic surfactants, and in particular in them the sodium laurylsulfonate and polysorbate-80 were better. The joint (application) of surfactants and EDTA could significantly accelerate the extraction of cadmium from the soil (the order was (EDTA/DBSS)EDTA/TX-100EDTA/CTABEDTADBSSTX-100CTAB); consequently, the amount of (cadmium) uptake by the plants increased, accounting for the mechanism of SAA-EDTA-enhanced phytoremediation of (Cd-conta)minated soil.