Field experiments were conducted to determine
the mobility, distribution and naturally occurring glutathi-
one (GSH)-based phytoaccumulation of cadmium and zinc
in the sewage-irrigated alluvial soils, Allahabad, India.
Frequent sewage-irrigation (up to 100 mL kg
-1
soil) at
5 days' interval indicated enrichment of soil profiles with
Cd and Zn more prominently in surface soils and sub-
surface soils below to the depth of 0.6 m and augmented
cadmium and zinc accumulation in shoot tissues of
Brassica
species up to 10.6 and 31.5 mg kg
-1
, respectively. Both
cadmium and zinc were found significantly correlated with
organic matter and cation exchange capacity of the soils
indicating their dominant role in the sewage-irrigated
soils.
Raphanus sativus
L. and
Brassica napus
L. accu-
mulated significant quantity of cadmium and zinc, and
higher concentration of GSH in their shoot tissues syner-
gistically boosted translocation as well as accumulation of
metals in plants, especially at plant maturity. However,
cadmium showed higher translocation than zinc. Such
evidence supports the conclusion that elevated natural GSH concentrations of
Brassica
species during their
developed stage of plant growth are involved in metal
hyperaccumulation, which ensure their potential for phy-
toremediation of cadmium and zinc in the sewage-irrigated
soils. Thus, the use of the unused part (mostly leaves) of
these species as an innovative technology for phytoreme-
diation is suggested.