Facoltà di Ingegneria Civile e Industriale

The research group of Raw Materials Engineering, coordinated by Prof. Giuseppe Bonifazi and Silvia Serranti (Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials & Environment, Sapienza University of Rome), in collaboration with the Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Italian National Research Council   (IBPM CNR), has developed an innovative approach for the monitoring of the phytoremediation process of soils contaminated by arsenic (As) through the use of micro X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF). The research is carried out in two different projects funded by Lazio Region which aim to develop and apply an advanced technology that optimizes 1) the use of ferns for the phytoremediation of soils polluted by arsenic (FAST Project: FernArsenicSoilTechnology) and 2) the use of ferns grown with the hydroponic system to remove arsenic from drinking water (DWARF Project: Drinking Water Arsenic Removal by Ferns).

Phytoextraction is an ecological and economically sustainable technique for the removal of As and/or heavy metals, which has the advantage of permanently removing contaminants from soil. The Pteris vittata fern is a particularly efficient species for the removal of As, since it has a fast growth rate and accumulates in the fronds (the leaves of ferns) up to 27 g/kg (dry weight) of As. Through the micro-XRF it is possible to monitor the concentration of As during the Pteris growth, analysing the elements concentration in the fern leaves and optimizing the phytoremediation process.

Info: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86076-7