A contaminação do solo é crescente no mundo. Há grandes extensões de áreas contaminadas com elementos traço, compostos orgânicos, organometálicos e elementos radioativos, que ocorrem em concentrações que podem representar perigo ambiental. O comportamento dos elementos traço em solos e sua fitodisponibilidade com conseqüente passagem para a cadeia alimentar tem sido extensivo objeto de estudos mundialmente. Com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento dos elementos traço, essenciais e não essenciais, num solo contaminado avaliou-se a absorção pelas plantas, a fitodisponibilidade por extratores e a fração do solo na qual os elementos encontram-se ligados em maior quantidade. O presente trabalho constou de dois experimentos, ambos realizados em casa de vegetação do Departamento de Ciência do Solo da ESALQ/USP com delineamento inteiramente casualizados, nos quais se utilizaram amostras de solo contaminado acidentalmente com elementos traço e espécies de plantas de interesse econômico. Os experimentos foram conduzidos de Novembro de 2004 a Abril de 2005, utilizando 7 níveis de contaminação por elementos traço e duas culturas, arroz e soja. Foi realizada adubação NPK de modo a atender as necessidades básicas de cada cultura. As plantas foram conduzidas até maturação. As variáveis avaliadas foram: desenvolvimento e produção vegetal; quantidade absorvida e acumulada de Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb e Zn; teores totais (água régia) e teores disponível dos elementos traço pelo uso das soluções Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1, DTPA e Ácidos Orgânicos no solo e a disponibilidade desses elementos através da correlação dos teores disponível no solo com os teores em folha diagnóstico, folha em final de ciclo e sementes de arroz e soja; e os teores de elementos traço nas frações do solo. A soja e o arroz foram sensíveis aos níveis de contaminação por elementos traço disponíveis no solo, exibindo sintomas de fitotoxidez, principalmente pelo Zn, manifestados por clorose e inibição do crescimento das plantas, sendo que o arroz mostrou-se mais sensível do que a soja à presença desses elementos. Para a soja, os quatro extratores foram eficientes para Cd, Cu, Pb e Zn, tanto ao correlacioná-los com teor na folha diagnóstico quanto na folha no final do ciclo enquanto que para o arroz, os mais eficientes foram o Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1 e o DTPA para o Cd, Cu, Fe e Zn. Para o Mn apenas o DTPA foi eficiente. Para o Fe, os extratores se mostraram pouco eficientes. O extrator Ácidos Orgânicos foi mais eficiente na avaliação da fitodisponibilidade de Cd, Cu, Pb e Zn para soja. Os maiores teores de Cd, Cu, Mn e Zn no solo encontram-se nas frações com ligações químicas mais estáveis (ligados a óxidos e residual) sendo as frações trocável + solúvel e orgânica de menor representatividade em relação ao total encontrado. O Pb, apesar de predominar nas frações ligadas a óxidos e residual, oferece grande potencial de contaminação ambiental por também apresentar-se nas frações trocável + solúvel e orgânica em teores consideráveis. O mesmo ocorre com o Zn, para o qual os teores totais foram mais elevados. / The contamination of the soil is growing in the world. There are great expanses of soil polluted with trace elements, organic compounds, organometals and radioactive elements that appear in concentrations that can endanger the environment. The behavior of trace elements in soils and its phytoavailability with subsequent transport to the alimentary chain has been quite intensive object of studies worldwide. With the objective of evaluating the behavior of essentials and non essential trace elements in a polluted soil, it was evaluated the absorption of trace elements by plants, its phytoavailability by extractors and in which fraction of the soil the elements are present in larger amount. The present work consisted of two experiments, both done entirely in a greenhouse of the Department of Soil Science of ESALQ/USP, with experimental design entirely randomized, in which samples of soil accidentally contaminated with trace elements and species of plants of economical interest were used. The experiments were conducted from November, 2004 to April, 2005, using seven levels of contamination for each trace elements and two cultures, rice and soybean. Fertilization with NPK was done in order to assist the basic needs of each culture. The plants were grown until maturation. The variables evaluated were: development and vegetable production; absorbed and accumulated amount of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn; In the soil were determined total concentrations (HNO3/ HCl 1:3) and concentrations available of the trace elements by the use of the solutions Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1, DTPA and Organic Acids and the availability of those elements through the correlation of the available concentrations in the soil with the concentrations in diagnostic leaf, leafs in end of the cycle and seeds of rice and soybean; and the concentrations of trace elements in fractions of soil. The soybean and the rice were sensitive to the levels of trace elements available in the soil, exhibiting phytotoxicity symptoms, mainly for Zn, manifested as chlorosis and inhibition of growth. The rice was more sensitive than the soybean to the presence those elements. For soybean, the four extractors were efficient for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, both for the correlation with concentrations in the leaf diagnosis and in the leaf in the end of the cycle, while for rice, the most efficient were Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1 and DTPA for the Cd, Cu, Fe and Zn. For Mn, only DTPA was efficient. For Fe, the extractors were not efficient. The extractor Organic Acids was more efficient in the evaluation of the phytoavailability of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn for soybean. The largest concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn and Zn in the soil are found in the fractions with stable chemical bounds (attached to oxides and residue) being the exchangeable fractions + soluble and organic of smaller representativeness in relation to the total found. The Pb, in spite of prevailing in the fractions liked to oxides and residue, offers great potential of environmental contamination since it is also present in the exchangeable + soluble and organic fractions in considerable concentrations. The same happens for Zn, for which the total concentration was higher.

A contaminação do solo é crescente no mundo. Há grandes extensões de áreas contaminadas com elementos traço, compostos orgânicos, organometálicos e elementos radioativos, que ocorrem em concentrações que podem representar perigo ambiental. O comportamento dos elementos traço em solos e sua fitodisponibilidade com conseqüente passagem para a cadeia alimentar tem sido extensivo objeto de estudos mundialmente. Com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento dos elementos traço, essenciais e não essenciais, num solo contaminado avaliou-se a absorção pelas plantas, a fitodisponibilidade por extratores e a fração do solo na qual os elementos encontram-se ligados em maior quantidade. O presente trabalho constou de dois experimentos, ambos realizados em casa de vegetação do Departamento de Ciência do Solo da ESALQ/USP com delineamento inteiramente casualizados, nos quais se utilizaram amostras de solo contaminado acidentalmente com elementos traço e espécies de plantas de interesse econômico. Os experimentos foram conduzidos de Novembro de 2004 a Abril de 2005, utilizando 7 níveis de contaminação por elementos traço e duas culturas, arroz e soja. Foi realizada adubação NPK de modo a atender as necessidades básicas de cada cultura. As plantas foram conduzidas até maturação. As variáveis avaliadas foram: desenvolvimento e produção vegetal; quantidade absorvida e acumulada de Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb e Zn; teores totais (água régia) e teores disponível dos elementos traço pelo uso das soluções Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1, DTPA e Ácidos Orgânicos no solo e a disponibilidade desses elementos através da correlação dos teores disponível no solo com os teores em folha diagnóstico, folha em final de ciclo e sementes de arroz e soja; e os teores de elementos traço nas frações do solo. A soja e o arroz foram sensíveis aos níveis de contaminação por elementos traço disponíveis no solo, exibindo sintomas de fitotoxidez, principalmente pelo Zn, manifestados por clorose e inibição do crescimento das plantas, sendo que o arroz mostrou-se mais sensível do que a soja à presença desses elementos. Para a soja, os quatro extratores foram eficientes para Cd, Cu, Pb e Zn, tanto ao correlacioná-los com teor na folha diagnóstico quanto na folha no final do ciclo enquanto que para o arroz, os mais eficientes foram o Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1 e o DTPA para o Cd, Cu, Fe e Zn. Para o Mn apenas o DTPA foi eficiente. Para o Fe, os extratores se mostraram pouco eficientes. O extrator Ácidos Orgânicos foi mais eficiente na avaliação da fitodisponibilidade de Cd, Cu, Pb e Zn para soja. Os maiores teores de Cd, Cu, Mn e Zn no solo encontram-se nas frações com ligações químicas mais estáveis (ligados a óxidos e residual) sendo as frações trocável + solúvel e orgânica de menor representatividade em relação ao total encontrado. O Pb, apesar de predominar nas frações ligadas a óxidos e residual, oferece grande potencial de contaminação ambiental por também apresentar-se nas frações trocável + solúvel e orgânica em teores consideráveis. O mesmo ocorre com o Zn, para o qual os teores totais foram mais elevados. / The contamination of the soil is growing in the world. There are great expanses of soil polluted with trace elements, organic compounds, organometals and radioactive elements that appear in concentrations that can endanger the environment. The behavior of trace elements in soils and its phytoavailability with subsequent transport to the alimentary chain has been quite intensive object of studies worldwide. With the objective of evaluating the behavior of essentials and non essential trace elements in a polluted soil, it was evaluated the absorption of trace elements by plants, its phytoavailability by extractors and in which fraction of the soil the elements are present in larger amount. The present work consisted of two experiments, both done entirely in a greenhouse of the Department of Soil Science of ESALQ/USP, with experimental design entirely randomized, in which samples of soil accidentally contaminated with trace elements and species of plants of economical interest were used. The experiments were conducted from November, 2004 to April, 2005, using seven levels of contamination for each trace elements and two cultures, rice and soybean. Fertilization with NPK was done in order to assist the basic needs of each culture. The plants were grown until maturation. The variables evaluated were: development and vegetable production; absorbed and accumulated amount of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn; In the soil were determined total concentrations (HNO3/ HCl 1:3) and concentrations available of the trace elements by the use of the solutions Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1, DTPA and Organic Acids and the availability of those elements through the correlation of the available concentrations in the soil with the concentrations in diagnostic leaf, leafs in end of the cycle and seeds of rice and soybean; and the concentrations of trace elements in fractions of soil. The soybean and the rice were sensitive to the levels of trace elements available in the soil, exhibiting phytotoxicity symptoms, mainly for Zn, manifested as chlorosis and inhibition of growth. The rice was more sensitive than the soybean to the presence those elements. For soybean, the four extractors were efficient for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, both for the correlation with concentrations in the leaf diagnosis and in the leaf in the end of the cycle, while for rice, the most efficient were Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1 and DTPA for the Cd, Cu, Fe and Zn. For Mn, only DTPA was efficient. For Fe, the extractors were not efficient. The extractor Organic Acids was more efficient in the evaluation of the phytoavailability of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn for soybean. The largest concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn and Zn in the soil are found in the fractions with stable chemical bounds (attached to oxides and residue) being the exchangeable fractions + soluble and organic of smaller representativeness in relation to the total found. The Pb, in spite of prevailing in the fractions liked to oxides and residue, offers great potential of environmental contamination since it is also present in the exchangeable + soluble and organic fractions in considerable concentrations. The same happens for Zn, for which the total concentration was higher.

Oxygen in single crystalline antimony triselenide (Sb₂Se₃) is addressed by infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy. Measurements conducted on Sb₂Se₃ samples doped—during growth, post-growth annealing in the O₂ ambient, or by O ion implantation—with ¹⁶O reveal an IR absorption line at 527 cm⁻¹ (10 K). Substitution of ¹⁶O by ¹⁸O “red”-shifts the signal down to 500 cm⁻¹ based on which the line is assigned to a local vibrational mode of an isolated oxygen defect. Annealing of O-enriched samples in hydrogen atmosphere at temperatures above 380 °C results in the suppression of the 527-cm⁻¹ line and concurrent appearance of the signals due to hydroxyl groups, suggesting formation of oxygen-hydrogen complexes. The configuration of the 527-cm⁻¹ oxygen center is discussed.

Plantas acumulam elementos químicos devido aos mais variados fatores como atendimento às necessidades estruturais e fisiológicas e características ambientais. Em estudos de biomonitoração, é comum a seleção de uma espécie para a avaliação da qualidade ambiental. A bioacumulação de vários elementos químicos já foi demonstrada para as espécies arbóreas mais abundantes da Mata Atlântica na parcela permanente do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (PECB), uma das áreas mais preservadas da Mata Atlântica. Contudo, dado o elevado nível de alteração ambiental e a alta biodiversidade do bioma, torna-se necessário avaliar os padrões de bioacumulação em outras regiões da Mata Atlântica. Uma das areas mais significativas da Mata Atlântica para o Estado de São Paulo é o Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (PESM), com exemplos de áreas bem preservadas e outras sob grande pressão antrópica. O núcleo Picinguaba é um dos núcleos mais conservados do parque que alcança a zona costeira. Por outro lado, o núcleo Itutinga-Pilões tem sido constantemente impactado por atividades humanas. Por exemplo, há muitos relatos sobre os efeitos da poluição na vegetação próxima aos centros urbanos e complexos industriais de São Paulo e Cubatão. Assumindo-se a hipótese de que a proximidade das unidades de conservação com o oceano e grandes centros urbanos pode influenciar a absorção de elementos químicos por plantas, este trabalho objetivou estudar a complexidade da acumulação de elementos químicos por espécies arbóreas dos núcleos Picinguaba e Itutinga-Pilões do PESM. Folhas de sete espécies arbóreas Alsophila sternbergii, Bathysa australis, Garcinia gardneriana, Guapira opposita, Euterpe edulis, Hyeronima alchorneoides e Virola bicuhyba - foram coletadas em diferentes épocas, assim como o solo sob a projeção das copas das árvores para estimar o índice de bioacumulação solo-folha (IBASF). A quantificação dos elementos químicos foi realizada por meio da análise por ativação neutrônica instrumental (INAA). A bioacumulação foi avaliada pela composição química elementar de solos, folhas e IBASF para todas as espécies. Os solos do núcleo Itutinga-Pilões apresentaram pontos críticos de As nas proximidades das rodovias, os quais podem ser importantes para a sustentabilidade a longo-prazo do ecossistema. As árvores do núcleo Itutinga-Pilões apresentaram um aporte maior de Fe, Th, Zn, Ce, La, Sm e Sc quando comparadas ao núcleo Picinguaba, que apresentou valores mais elevados de Na devido à influência do oceano. Um forte efeito de sazonalidade foi observado para a composição química elementar de folhas, associado à deposição de particulado atmosférico. Este estudo demonstrou a potencialidade do emprego da composição química elementar de árvores nativas e do solo para a avaliação da qualidade ambiental da Mata Atlântica. / Plants accumulate chemical elements due to several factors such as structural and physiological requirements and environmental characteristics. For biomonitoring studies, it is usual to select one species for monitoring the availability of chemical elements. The bioaccumulation of chemical elements has been demonstrated for the most abundant tree species in the Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (PECB), one of the most preserved areas of the Atlantic Forest. However, due to the high level of environmental alterations and the high biodiversity of this biome, it becomes necessary to assess the bioaccumulation patterns in other regions of the Atlantic forest. A significant area of the Atlantic Forest for the São Paulo State is the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (PESM) with well preserved areas as well as regions under heavy anthropogenic pressure. Picinguaba is one of the most conserved PESM bases, reaching the costal zone. On the other hand, the Itutinga-Pilões base has been constantly impacted by human activities. For instance, there are many reports about the pollution effects on vegetation near urban centers and industrial complexes of São Paulo and Cubatão. Assuming the hypothesis that the proximity of the conservation units to the ocean and huge urban and industrial areas can influence the uptake of chemical elements by plants, this study investigated the complexity of the accumulation of chemical elements in tree species of the Picinguaba and Itutinga-Pilões bases of PESM. Leaves of seven tree species Alsophila sternbergii, Bathysa australis, Garcinia gardneriana, Guapira opposita, Euterpe edulis, Hyeronima alchorneoides and Virola bicuhyba - were collected in different periods. Soil under the tree crown projection at the 0-10 cm depth was sampled for estimating the soil-leaf bioaccumulation index (SLBAI). Chemical elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). By comparing the soil and leaf mass fractions of chemical elements and SLBAI values, bioaccumulation was assessed for all species from the studied areas. Itutinga-Pilões soil presented As hotspots near roads, which might be important for long-term ecosystem sustainability. Trees from the Itutinga-Pilões base also showed higher uptake of Ce, Fe, La, Sc, Sm and Th compared to the Picinguaba base, which showed high Na values because of the sea influence. A strong effect of seasonality on the leaf chemical element composition was observed, related to the deposition of atmospheric particulate. This study has demonstrated the potentiality of using the chemical composition of native tree and soil for the assessment of environmental quality in the Atlantic Forest.

Plantas acumulam elementos químicos devido aos mais variados fatores como atendimento às necessidades estruturais e fisiológicas e características ambientais. Em estudos de biomonitoração, é comum a seleção de uma espécie para a avaliação da qualidade ambiental. A bioacumulação de vários elementos químicos já foi demonstrada para as espécies arbóreas mais abundantes da Mata Atlântica na parcela permanente do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (PECB), uma das áreas mais preservadas da Mata Atlântica. Contudo, dado o elevado nível de alteração ambiental e a alta biodiversidade do bioma, torna-se necessário avaliar os padrões de bioacumulação em outras regiões da Mata Atlântica. Uma das areas mais significativas da Mata Atlântica para o Estado de São Paulo é o Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (PESM), com exemplos de áreas bem preservadas e outras sob grande pressão antrópica. O núcleo Picinguaba é um dos núcleos mais conservados do parque que alcança a zona costeira. Por outro lado, o núcleo Itutinga-Pilões tem sido constantemente impactado por atividades humanas. Por exemplo, há muitos relatos sobre os efeitos da poluição na vegetação próxima aos centros urbanos e complexos industriais de São Paulo e Cubatão. Assumindo-se a hipótese de que a proximidade das unidades de conservação com o oceano e grandes centros urbanos pode influenciar a absorção de elementos químicos por plantas, este trabalho objetivou estudar a complexidade da acumulação de elementos químicos por espécies arbóreas dos núcleos Picinguaba e Itutinga-Pilões do PESM. Folhas de sete espécies arbóreas Alsophila sternbergii, Bathysa australis, Garcinia gardneriana, Guapira opposita, Euterpe edulis, Hyeronima alchorneoides e Virola bicuhyba - foram coletadas em diferentes épocas, assim como o solo sob a projeção das copas das árvores para estimar o índice de bioacumulação solo-folha (IBASF). A quantificação dos elementos químicos foi realizada por meio da análise por ativação neutrônica instrumental (INAA). A bioacumulação foi avaliada pela composição química elementar de solos, folhas e IBASF para todas as espécies. Os solos do núcleo Itutinga-Pilões apresentaram pontos críticos de As nas proximidades das rodovias, os quais podem ser importantes para a sustentabilidade a longo-prazo do ecossistema. As árvores do núcleo Itutinga-Pilões apresentaram um aporte maior de Fe, Th, Zn, Ce, La, Sm e Sc quando comparadas ao núcleo Picinguaba, que apresentou valores mais elevados de Na devido à influência do oceano. Um forte efeito de sazonalidade foi observado para a composição química elementar de folhas, associado à deposição de particulado atmosférico. Este estudo demonstrou a potencialidade do emprego da composição química elementar de árvores nativas e do solo para a avaliação da qualidade ambiental da Mata Atlântica. / Plants accumulate chemical elements due to several factors such as structural and physiological requirements and environmental characteristics. For biomonitoring studies, it is usual to select one species for monitoring the availability of chemical elements. The bioaccumulation of chemical elements has been demonstrated for the most abundant tree species in the Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (PECB), one of the most preserved areas of the Atlantic Forest. However, due to the high level of environmental alterations and the high biodiversity of this biome, it becomes necessary to assess the bioaccumulation patterns in other regions of the Atlantic forest. A significant area of the Atlantic Forest for the São Paulo State is the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (PESM) with well preserved areas as well as regions under heavy anthropogenic pressure. Picinguaba is one of the most conserved PESM bases, reaching the costal zone. On the other hand, the Itutinga-Pilões base has been constantly impacted by human activities. For instance, there are many reports about the pollution effects on vegetation near urban centers and industrial complexes of São Paulo and Cubatão. Assuming the hypothesis that the proximity of the conservation units to the ocean and huge urban and industrial areas can influence the uptake of chemical elements by plants, this study investigated the complexity of the accumulation of chemical elements in tree species of the Picinguaba and Itutinga-Pilões bases of PESM. Leaves of seven tree species Alsophila sternbergii, Bathysa australis, Garcinia gardneriana, Guapira opposita, Euterpe edulis, Hyeronima alchorneoides and Virola bicuhyba - were collected in different periods. Soil under the tree crown projection at the 0-10 cm depth was sampled for estimating the soil-leaf bioaccumulation index (SLBAI). Chemical elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). By comparing the soil and leaf mass fractions of chemical elements and SLBAI values, bioaccumulation was assessed for all species from the studied areas. Itutinga-Pilões soil presented As hotspots near roads, which might be important for long-term ecosystem sustainability. Trees from the Itutinga-Pilões base also showed higher uptake of Ce, Fe, La, Sc, Sm and Th compared to the Picinguaba base, which showed high Na values because of the sea influence. A strong effect of seasonality on the leaf chemical element composition was observed, related to the deposition of atmospheric particulate. This study has demonstrated the potentiality of using the chemical composition of native tree and soil for the assessment of environmental quality in the Atlantic Forest.

MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / South Africa is highly dependent on coal for production of electricity. The combustion of coal for electricity generation produces waste by-products which include fine ash (fly ash) and coarse ash. Fly ash (FA) is produced in large amounts while its utilization is low due to its classification as a hazardous material. Sasol produces about 7 million tons of FA, while Eskom produces about 28 million tons of coal FA annually. FA is a fine by-product from pulverized coal with detrimental effects on plants, soil or land, animals and human beings, and pollutes the air. The present investigation focuses on the examination of the chemical elements bioaccumulation and phytoremediation potential of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea L). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used to analyze the elemental composition of FA and soil, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to examine the morphology, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to evaluate the mineralogy of FA. The concentrations of metal and non-metal species that are released from FA on contact with water at different conditions were quantified using ICP-MS. Pot culture experiment was conducted to grow Brassica juncea and Spinacia Oleracea L. using FA and soil as growth medium. Leachates from the pots were collected and analysed using ICP-MS. Plant parts from harvested Brassica juncea and Spinacia Oleracea L. were cut separately and analysed using ICP-MS for the concentrations of different metal and non-metal species in plant parts. Plant parts were also used to estimate biomass and chlorophyll content (leaves). To prepare these plant samples for analysis, the powdered plant sample (0.5 g) was digested through aqua regia (HCL:HNO3 = 3:1 (v/v)) to near dryness using hotplate and filled to 100 mL of MilliQ water. The samples were filtered and directly used to determine the chemical elements concentrations. Blanks and internal standards were used for quality assurance during analysis. Chemical elements that are present in FA and sometimes in higher concentrations are associated with detrimental effects in plants, animals and human beings, hence phytoremediation is vital. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) was used to estimate the metal species accumulation ability of the plants from the FA, FA/soil mixtures, while translocation factor (TF) was used to assess the plant species potential for phytoremediation of coal fly ash dumps. Analysis of Varience (ANOVA) was used to statistically test data using Graphpad software package. Relationship between chemical elements in soil, FA and FA+soil growth media and also different plant parts (root, stem and leaf) of B. juncea and S. Oleracea L were calculated using the t - test, ANOVA-Bartlett test, Mann-Whitney Test and Kruskal-Wallis Statistic (KW) depending on each data set. The physicochemical characterization of coal fly ash showed that FA from Grootvlei power station can be classified as class F with an alkaline pH level of 10.62. It showed that particle morphology of this FA had a lower degree of sphericity with irregular agglomerations of many particles while there were dominant spherical particles and smaller sharp needle like particles. It is also an alumino-silicate material as confirmed by the high SiO2 and Al2O3 content, while soil leachates had an average/neutral pH of 7.22 with very high amounts of Si. In both soil and FA, elements that were expected to be readily available to plants included Ca, Si, K, Ba, Mo, Na, Al, Mg, Sr and non-essential elements (Si, Ba, Na, Al, Sr), which, if uptaken by plants’ roots can have negative impacts in plants. Physicochemical analysis of soil, FA and FA+soil leachates showed that the alkalinity of the FA changed over time and there was also a decrease in the EC due to dissolution iv of soluble major oxides, which was promoted by continuous water irrigation. The soil and FA+soil growth media showed similar results. Chemical elements like B, Mn, Fe and Ba were occurring at higher concentrations in leachates for most weeks in the pot culture experiments. However, it was observed that in the eleventh week of leachate collection all these chemical elements decreased to very low concentrations. This suggest that these chemical elements can be reduced over time as plants are being irrigated which is either due to uptake by plants or washed off with water. Statistically, there was a significant difference for different chemical elements of leachates from different growth media for each plant species (B. juncea and S. Olearcea L.). The overall growth rate shows that S. Oleracea L was better than that of B. juncea especially in the FA media over time, while the biomass of the two plant species showed similar results. After all, even though S. Oleracea L had carotenoid content below detection limits, it had higher chlorophyll b than B. juncea for all growth media in general. But, statistically there was no significant difference between the two plant species in terms of growth rate and biomass; even between the plant parts denoting similar growth performance for the two plant species under study. The bioaccumulation potential of the two plant species showed that chemical elements such as Fe, Mn, Ba, Zn and B were highly accumulated by the different parts of the plants. However, the chemical elements such as of Mo, Ni, Cu, and Cr showed the least concentrations. This trend was similar for all growth media and both plant species but this changes over time for different growth media and plant species as increasing and decreasing trends can be noticed. This led to no significant difference between plant species and also growth media, statistically. High BCF values of Fe, Mn, Ba, Zn and B were observed in the different parts of the plants for both plant species. However, Mo, Ni, Cu, and Cr had BCF values less than 1 for most growth media over time. BCF values in plant parts differed with time, growth media and plant species. Translocation of chemical elements shows that the B. juncea plant proved to be an effective phytoremediation plant species since it is effective in translocation of many chemical elements for different growth media to shoots while S. Oleracea L failed to translocate most chemical elements from stem to leaves although it translocated some from root to shoots. Hence, it can be concluded from the study that both species can be used in phytoremediation of coal fly ash dumps but with B. juncea being the most effective accumulator and translocator of many chemical elements. However, it can be recommended that chelating agents like ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) be introduced to solubilize chemical elements from growth media matrix into growth media solution to facilitate the quick transport of chemical elements into xylem, and increase