Phytoremediation study of water polluted with heavy metals using floating macrophytes: Lemna minor and Pistia stratiotes

• Published in: Advances in environmental sciences : international journal of the Bioflux Society Vol. 7; no. 2; pp. 155 - 162
• Main Authors: Brăhaiţa, I Dorian, Malschi, Dana, Popiţa, E Gabriela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cluj-Napoca Bioflux SRL 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Aquatic plants; Bioaccumulation; Bioremediation; Cadmium; Copper; Decantation; Decontamination; Drainage ditches; Drinking water; Duckweed; Experiments; Floating plants; Gold; Heavy metal content; Heavy metals; Iron; Lead; Lemna minor; Macrophytes; Metal concentrations; Mine tailings; Nickel; Phytoremediation; Pistia stratiotes; Plant tissues; Ponds; Rivers; Water analysis; Water pollution; Water sampling; Water treatment; Wetlands; Work capacity; Zinc; Romania
• ISSN: 2066-7620; 2066-7647

This work aims to highlight the capacity of Lemna minor and Pistia stratiotes macrophytes to decontaminate waters polluted with heavy metals, through a process of phytoextraction and phytoaccumulation. The purpose of the study was to elaborate an in-situ bioremediation technology for the waters of the decantation ponds originated from the mining industry. Experiments were conducted on water samples collected from Aurul tailings management facility, in Baia Mare region, northern Romania. The materials deposited on this facility resulted from the re-processing of tailings containing residual gold. The capacity of phytoextraction and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the plants tissues have been assessed. Three types of samples have been used in the laboratory experiment: a blank sample consisting of bottled drinking water, a water sample taken from the drainage ditch, and a sample taken from the tailings pond. The phytoextraction of heavy metals from the analyzed water samples (μg L-1) and the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the tissues of the plants (mg kg-1 d.m.) were monitored. The heavy metal concentrations have been measured before and after the phytoextraction process, and an accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Fe) in L. minor and P. stratiotes plant tissues has been noticed.