1 FEBRUARY 2001 | Lena Q. Ma*, Kenneth M. Komar†, Cong Tu*, Weihua Zhang†, Yong Cai‡, Elizabeth D. Kennelly*
The fern *Pteris vittata* (brake fern) has been found to be highly efficient in extracting arsenic from contaminated soils and translocating it into its above-ground biomass. This discovery makes brake fern the first known arsenic hyperaccumulator and the first fern to function as such. The plant was found growing on a site in Central Florida contaminated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), where it accumulated arsenic levels up to 7,526 parts per million (ppm) in its fronds, significantly higher than typical levels in normal soil. Brake fern can efficiently take up large amounts of arsenic into its fronds within a short period, with arsenic concentrations in fronds increasing from 29.4 ppm to 15,861 ppm in two weeks in soil spiked with 1,500 ppm arsenic. The fern also removes arsenic from soils containing different species of arsenic, with up to 93% of the arsenic concentrated in the fronds. Brake fern's versatility, hardiness, and rapid growth make it a promising candidate for the remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils.The fern *Pteris vittata* (brake fern) has been found to be highly efficient in extracting arsenic from contaminated soils and translocating it into its above-ground biomass. This discovery makes brake fern the first known arsenic hyperaccumulator and the first fern to function as such. The plant was found growing on a site in Central Florida contaminated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), where it accumulated arsenic levels up to 7,526 parts per million (ppm) in its fronds, significantly higher than typical levels in normal soil. Brake fern can efficiently take up large amounts of arsenic into its fronds within a short period, with arsenic concentrations in fronds increasing from 29.4 ppm to 15,861 ppm in two weeks in soil spiked with 1,500 ppm arsenic. The fern also removes arsenic from soils containing different species of arsenic, with up to 93% of the arsenic concentrated in the fronds. Brake fern's versatility, hardiness, and rapid growth make it a promising candidate for the remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils.