Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by Submerged Macrophytes: Looking for Hyperaccumulators in Eutrophic Lakes

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 47; no. 9; pp. 4695 - 4703
• Main Authors: Xing, Wei, Wu, Haoping, Hao, Beibei, Huang, Wenmin, Liu, Guihua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 07.05.2013
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; anthropogenic activities; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Aquatic plants; arsenic; bioaccumulation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; cadmium; Ceratophyllum demersum; chromium; cobalt; Decontamination. Miscellaneous; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Eutrophication; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heavy metal content; heavy metals; hyperaccumulators; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; iron; Lakes; lead; macrophytes; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Miscellaneous; Najas marina; Nutrient removal; Plants - metabolism; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; sediments; Soil and sediments pollution; tissues; Vallisneria; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Yangtze River; Asia; China; Yangtze River; Pollutant behavior; Interspecific comparison; Lake sediments; Phytoextraction; Environmental engineering; Heavy metal; Phytoremediation; Trace element; Decontamination; Surface water; Hyperaccumulator; Lakes; Water pollution; Bioremediation; Aquatic plant; Biological accumulation
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es303923w

To directly select submerged macrophytes with high accumulation capability from the field, 24 eutrophic lakes along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were investigated in the study. These eutrophic lakes have large amounts of heavy metals in both water and sediments because of human activities. The results showed that Najas marina is a hyperaccumulator of As and Cd, Ceratophyllum demersum is a hyperaccumulator of Co, Cr, and Fe, and Vallisneria natans is a hyperaccumulator of Pb. Strong positive correlations were found between concentrations of heavy metals in tissues of submerged macrophytes, probably because of coaccumulation of heavy metals. However, for most heavy metals, no significant correlations were found between submerged macrophytes and their surrounding environments. In conclusion, N. marina, C. demersum, and V. natans are good candidate species for removing heavy metals from eutrophic lakes.