VETIVER GRASS TECHNOLOGY FOR MINE REHABILITATION IN

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
Paul Truong, DNR, Brisbane, Australia
Vetiver
Vetiver grass
grass (Vetiveria
(Vetiveria zizanioides
zizanioides L.)
L.) has
has been
been shown
shown to
to have
have high
high level
level of
of tolerance
tolerance to
to adverse
adverse climatic
climatic and
and
edaphic
edaphic conditions,
conditions, and
and heavy
heavy metal
metal toxicities.
toxicities. Vetiver
Vetiver Grass
Grass Technology
Technology hashas been
been used
used very
very successfully
successfully for
for the
the
rehabilitation
rehabilitation of
of overburden
overburden and
and tailings
tailings of
of coal,
coal, gold,
gold, bentonite
bentonite and
and arsenic
arsenic mines
mines in
in Queensland,
Queensland, Australia.
Australia.
Heavy
HeavyMetal
MetalContents
Contentsof
ofaaRepresentative
RepresentativeGold
GoldMine
MineTailings
Tailingsin
Australia.
Australia.
in
Tolerance Range of Vetiver Grass
Threshold
ThresholdLevels
Levelsof
of Heavy
HeavyMetals
Metalsof
ofVetiver
VetiverGrowth
Growthas
asCompared
Comparedwith
withOther
Other
Total Species.
Species.
Heavy
HeavyMetals
Metals TotalContents
Contents
-1
Environmental
EnvironmentalThreshold
Threshold
-1 Adverse Soil Conditions
(mgKg
(mgKg-1) ) levels
levels (mgKg-1)*)*
(mgKg
Acidity pH 3.3 Heavy Thresholds
Aluminium level (Al Sat. %) Between 80% - 87% Heavy Thresholdsto
toPlant
Plant
-1
Growth
Growth Thresholds
ThresholdstotoVetiver
Vetiver
Metals
Metals (mgKg
(mgKg ))
-1 Growth
Growth
Arsenic 11120 20 Manganese level > 578 mgkg-1 (mgKg -1
Arsenic 120 20 (mgKg-1))
Chromium 55 50 Alkalinity (highly sodic) pH 11.5 Hydroponic Soil
Chromium
Copper
55
156
50
60 Hydroponic Soillevels
levels Soil
Soillevels
levels Shoot
Shootlevels
levels
Salinity (50% yield reduction) 17.5 mScm-1 levels
Copper
Manganese
156
22000
60
500 levels(a)
(a) (b)
(b)
Manganese 000 500 Salinity (survived) 47.5 mScm-1 Arsenic 0.02-7.5 2.0 100-250 21-72
Lead 353 300 Arsenic 0.02-7.5 2.0 100-250 21-72
Lead 353 300 Sodicity 33% (exchange Na) Cadmium 0.2-9.0 1.5 20-60 45-48
Strontium
Strontium 335
335 NA
NA Cadmium 0.2-9.0 1.5 20-60 45-48
Zinc 283 200 Magnesicity 2 400 mgkg-1 (Mg) Copper
Copper 0.5-8.0
0.5-8.0 NA
NA 50-100
50-100 13-15
13-15
Zinc 283 200 Chromium 0.5-10.0 NA 200-600 5-18
Chromium 0.5-10.0 NA 200-600 5-18
** Maximum Heavy Metals Lead
Lead NA
NA NA
NA >1
>1500
500 >78
>78
Maximum levels
levels tolerated
tolerated by
by environmental
environmental and
and health
health authorities
authorities inin Mercury NA NA >6 >0.12
Australia
Australiaand
andNew
NewZealand.
Zealand. Arsenic 100 - 250 mgkg-1 Mercury NA NA >6 >0.12
NA Not available Cadmium 20 mgkg-1 Nickel
Nickel 0.5-2.0
0.5-2.0 7-10
7-10 100
100 347
347
NA Not available
Copper 35 - 50 mgkg-1 Selenium
Selenium NA
NA 2-14
2-14 >74
>74 >11
>11
Chromium 200 - 600 mgkg-1 Zinc
Zinc NA
NA NA
NA >750
>750 880
880
Nickel 50 - 100 mgkg-1
Mercury > 6 mgkg-1
Lead > 1 500 mgkg-1
Selenium > 74 mgkg-1
Zinc. >750 mgkg-1
Average
AverageDistribution
Distributionof
ofHeavy
HeavyMetals
Metalsin
inVetiver
VetiverShoots
Shootsand
andRoots.
Roots.
Location Equator to 410N
Metals
Metals Soil
Soil-1 Shoot
Shoot Root
Root-1 Shoot
Shoot/ /Root
Root Shoot
Shoot/ /Total
Total
-1
(mgKg
(mgKg-1) ) (mgKg
(mgKg-1) ) (mgKg
(mgKg-1) ) % % %%
Climate Arsenic
Arsenic 688.4
688.4 8.44
8.44 180.2
180.2 4.8
4.8 4.6
4.6
Deep and extensive root Annual Rainfall (mm) 250 - 5 000 Cadmium
Cadmium
Copper
1.025
1.025
50
0.30
0.30
13
10.97
10.97
68
3.1
3.1
19
2.9
2.9
16
Frost (ground temp.) -140C Copper 50 13 68 19 16
system binds the soil and Heat wave 550C
Dense growth retards water Chromium
Chromium 283
283 99 1108
1108 <1
<1 <1<1
Lead 469 35.32 45.88 57 33
enhances drought tolerance Drought (without effective rain) 15 months flow and traps sediments Lead
Mercury
Mercury
469
1.98
1.98
35.32
0.05
0.05
45.88
2.27
2.27
57
66
33
55
Nickel
Nickel (Ni)
(Ni) 300
300 448
448 1040
1040 43
43 3030
Vetiver is the only species among the 6 tested Fertiliser Selenium
Selenium
Zinc
19.86
19.86
390
4.44
4.44
461
8.37
8.37
643
53
53
69
33
40
33
Vetiver can be established on very N and P Zinc 390 461 643 69 40
that can be established easily and produced infertile soil due to its strong (300 kg/ha DAP)
very good growth on this coal tailings dam association with mycorrhiza
which is highly saline and alkaline

Vetiver were planted on this highly alkaline This 40 year old coal mine overburden stock These 8 year old gold tailings are highly acidic Gold mine tailings dump near Georgetown This bentonite mine waste and overburden is
and sodic coal mine overburden in central pile remains bare of vegetation. Several (pH 2.7) and high in As, SO4, Zn and Cu remained bare of vegetation for more than 15 highly sodic and erodible. Both wind and
Queensland. rehabilitation attempts have failed years and is highly susceptible to both water water erosion is a major concern
and wind erosion

Despite very dry weather over the next 4

years, at least 40% of the Vetiver survived,
and stabilised the side for the establishment
of other species
Vetiver established successfully in the gully
to stop further erosion and across the toe Excellent growth of vetiver 12 months after Vetiver planted for both erosion and sediment Vetiver was established successfully on the
planting with 20t/ha of lime and 800kg/ha of DAP site and excellent growth is recorded after 7
slope to trap eroded material control. Vigorous growth was recorded 6
months
months after planting