Phytoremediation Potential of Impatiens balsamina Towards Naphthalene Contaminated Soil in Different Parts of Plant

摘要

Organic wastes materials have been determined in soil samples for many years and may arise in the environment as consequences from natural sources and human activities. Hence, phytoremediation as a new alternative technology offer better remediation of contaminated sites in term of its cost effectiveness, aesthetic advantages and long term applicability. In this study, the existence of organic contamination levels in the Impatiens balsamina plant as well as in the soil sample was investigated. The accumulation of naphthalene in the parts of Impatiens balsamina plant and in the soil sample was analysed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). From the findings, the naphthalene concentration in the soil sample was reduced by 181.917%, while in the Impatiens balsamina stem was increased by 13.301 %, reflects that the Impatiens balsamina was able to tolerate and absorb contaminated from soil sample during one month of the treatment process. The naphthalene concentration in the Impatiens balsamina leaf and root was decreased by 46.867 % and 6.435 %, respectively as the phytoextraction occur in the plant. Thus, Impatiens balsamina could be used to remove naphthalene as the organic contaminant in the contaminated soil. It is hoped that the mechanism of phytoextraction in this ornamental plant could be understood well and phytoremediation technology involve of this species may be applied soon in Malaysia.