title: Assessment of heavy metals accumulation by spontaneous vegetation: Screening for new accumulator plant species grown in Kettara mine-Marrakech, Southern Morocco.
abstract: The present paper aims to perform a screening of native plants growing in Kettara mine-Marrakech (Southern Morocco) for its phytoremediation. Plants and soil samples were collected and analyzed for Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations at several sites in the mine. The results showed that the soil in the vicinity of Kettara mine is deficient in major elements and contain toxic levels of metals. Spontaneously growing native plants were botanically identified and then classified into 21 species and 14 families. Significant difference was observed among the average concentrations of four heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) in plants (p ≤ 0.05). Six plants of 21 species namely Hammada scoparia (Pomel) Iljin, Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagreze-Fossat, Lamarckia aurea (L.) Moench, Calendula algeriensis Boiss. & Reuter, Aizoon hispanicum L. and Melilotus sulcata Desf. were considered as the best-performing specimens due to their high ability to accumulate multiple metals in their shoots and roots without sustaining toxicity. This was confirmed by the transfer factors generally higher than 1. Using the most common criteria to classify the hyperaccumulator plants, these species can be classified as new accumulator plants of many heavy metals and be potentially used as remediation tools of metal-contaminated sites.
authors.affiliation: a National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.|b Laboratory of Hydrobiology, Ecotoxicology and Sanitation (LHEA, CNRST Associated Research Unit, URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Midhat
authors.affiliation: a National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.|b Laboratory of Hydrobiology, Ecotoxicology and Sanitation (LHEA, CNRST Associated Research Unit, URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Naaila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ouazzani
authors.affiliation: a National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.|b Laboratory of Hydrobiology, Ecotoxicology and Sanitation (LHEA, CNRST Associated Research Unit, URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Mouhsine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esshaimi
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Environment and Ecology (L2E, CNRST Associated Research Unit, URAC 32), Regional Herbarium MARK, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ouhammou
authors.affiliation: a National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE), Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.|b Laboratory of Hydrobiology, Ecotoxicology and Sanitation (LHEA, CNRST Associated Research Unit, URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University , Marrakech , Morocco.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandi
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D008906:Mining; D009018:Morocco; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Heavy metals; metal mine tailing; new accumulator plants; phytoremediation; spontaneous vegetation