The core project, Environmental Biogeochemical Process and Mechanisms of Phytoremediation in Heavy Metal Polluted Field, sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) was charged by Prof. Chen Tongbin, director of Center for Environmental Remediation, IGSNRR. The research was aimed to understand translocation and transformation processes of arsenic and rare earth elementsin different interfaces from view point of usingmulti-disciplines, such as environmental science, environmental geography, soil environmental chemistry, biogeochemistry, plant physiology and high energy physics, based on soil-plants-water-atmosphere system. Some important results have been obtained from the study.

Flux of soil leaching, surface runoff, atmospheric deposit, plant uptake and canopy leaching were monthly monitored to understand arsenic biogeochemistry and to establish balance models based on the arsenic input and output processes in phytoremediation fields in Chenzhou, Hunan Province.Pteris vittataL.had a good potential to remediate arsenic polluted soil and obviously change arsenic recycling in the phytoremediated ecosystem.

Transformation, translocation and microcosmic distributing of arsenical and rare earth elements were investigated in hyperaccumulatorP. vittataL. using high energy physics measures, such as EXAFS、XRF、u-XANES. Some theories of Environmental Phytoremediation technology was successfully developed to remove arsenic from the polluted soil and have been extended to remediation polluted agricultural field in Huanjiang County, Guangxi Province and Gejiu City, Yunnan Province.

Biogeochemical cycles of different rare earth elements in cropland and crops were monitored in soil-wheat system. Researchers also found that fractionation of different rare earth elements were obvious in the soil-plant system.

More than 45 papers have been published in peer-reviewed journals and 2 patents have been acquired from the study.

From Lab for Environment Remediation and Resources Engineering