Abstract:Chemically enhanced phytoextraction has been proposed as an effective approach to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil. Pot experiments was conducted to evaluate the effects of ethylene diamine disuccinate (EDDS), ethylene diamine tetraacetate (EDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) on the uptake of heavy metals (Pb, Cd and As) from multiple metal-contaminated field soils with Pteris cretica var. nervosa. Each chelant was applied to soil pots cultivated with P. cretica var. nervosa at the rates of 0, 1.5, 3, 6, 12 mmol/kg. The results showed that all tested Chelators induced no significant effects on biomass, which indicated that P. cretica var. nervosa was high tolerant to tested Chelators. The application of 6, 12 mmol/kg EDTA significantly increased soil Pb bioavailability and the concentrations of Pb of P. cretica var. nervosa. The maximum Pb concentrations reached (47.4 ± 1.7) mg/kg in shoot of P. cretica var. nervosa which was 3.66 times higher than that in CK with no chelators were applied. Additionally, the application of 6, 12 mmol/kg EDTA also significantly increased soil Cd bioavailability but did not significantly affect Cd concentrations in shoots of tested plant. The application of 6 mmol/kg EDDS and 3 mmol/kg NTA significantly increased soil As bioavailability as well as the concentrations of As in shoots of tested plant. The maximum As concentrations reached (276 ± 10) mg/kg in shoot of P. cretica var. nervosa. The uptakes of Pb and As in P. cretica var. nervosa respectively exposed to 6 mmol/kg EDTA and 6 mmol/kg EDDS reached (317 ± 53) μg/pot and (873 ± 41) μg/pot.