Bioremediation potential of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) for decontamination of cadmium in soil

Greenhouse pot culture studies were conducted to evaluate the bioremediation potential of spinach for removal of cadmium. The results indicated that spinach was able to take up cadmium in substantial quantity in the shoot. There were no visual cadmium toxicity effects on spinach and no significant reduction in the dry matter yield up to 20 μg g–1 cadmium. Significant growth retardation of fenugreek crop grown after spinach was observed at all the levels of cadmium, with no cadmium uptake in the shoot. This study revealed that spinach is a cadmium-tolerant crop and can be used for phytoremediation purpose.