common pollutant of Groundwater (Newman and Reynolds, 2004), atrazine, a
herbicide (Burken and Schnoor 1997), TNT type of explosive (Hughes et al.
1997), MTBE, a fuel additive (Davis et al. 2003) and PCBs (polychlorinated
biphenyls) can be Successfully emended using phytoremediation methods.
Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants to remove contaminants from soil and water.
1.3.2 Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation Capacity of Free Floating
Macrophytes
Aquatic macrophytes fit perfectly for phytoremediation of Heavy metals from
Aquatic ecosystem because of their rapid growth, high productivity in terms of
biomass, robustness and resistance towards toxic components in the environment.
The use of such macrophytes is a good alternative for decontaminant the water
bodies loaded with heavy metals. Aquatic plants can accumulate substantial amount
of heavy metals through active and passive absorption but the capacity of accumulation by different plant organ such as root, stem and leaves varied a lot
(Harguinteguy et al. 2014; Cai et al. 2018). Also, the studies on heavy metal
accumulation by Aquatic macrophytes have reported that the accumulation capacity
is maximum in submerged plants followed by free floating plants and is minimum in
Emergent plants but this capability is highly influenced by Aquatic environment as
well as plant species (Harguinteguy et al. 2014).
Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Salvinia auriculata and Lemna minor are
commonly occurring free floating aquatic plant species in wetlands of India. The
experimental data on accumulation efficiency of different heavy metals has proved
that these plants have great potential to clean up Aquatic Environment.
Eichhornia crassipes
This species is known to be highly tolerant to various pollutant including Heavy
metals and possess high magnitude of absorption of metals particularly Cd, Pb, Hg,
Cu, Ni and Zn. The accumulation of Cd-(97.5%), Hg-(99.9%), Pb-(83.4%) and
Ni-(95.1%) was reported when the initial concentration of Cd: 0.24, Hg: 4.971,
Pb: 1.199, Ni: 3.34 mg/l was present in industrial wastewater (Fazal et al. 2015). The
magnitude of absorption for water hyacinth was estimated at 0.24 kg/ha for Cd,
5.42 kg/ha for Pb, 21.62 kg/ha for Cu, 26.17 kg/ha for Zn, and 13.46 kg/ha for Ni in
Erh-Chung constructed wetlands of Taiwan (Liao and Chang 2004).
The plants exposed to Wastewater from steel effluents containing Al, Pb, AS, Cd,
Cu had accumulated (removed) Al-(73%), Pb-(73%,) As-(74%), Cd-(82.8%),
Cu-(78.6%) (Aurangzeb et al. 2014). Further, Cr accumulation had increased from
63% to 80% on 3rd and 9th day respectively while Zn accumulation had increased
from 67% to 96% and 100% on 9th, 12th and 15th day respectively on exposure of
the plant to the stock solution of the metal ions (Swarnalatha and Radhakrishnan
2015). This study had shown that water hyacinth is a felicitous candidate for
phytoremediation of waste water polluted with many heavy metals.
15 Potential of Free Floating Macrophytes for Bioremediation of Heavy Metals. . .
327
herbicide (Burken and Schnoor 1997), TNT type of explosive (Hughes et al.
1997), MTBE, a fuel additive (Davis et al. 2003) and PCBs (polychlorinated
biphenyls) can be Successfully emended using phytoremediation methods.
Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants to remove contaminants from soil and water.
1.3.2 Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation Capacity of Free Floating
Macrophytes
Aquatic macrophytes fit perfectly for phytoremediation of Heavy metals from
Aquatic ecosystem because of their rapid growth, high productivity in terms of
biomass, robustness and resistance towards toxic components in the environment.
The use of such macrophytes is a good alternative for decontaminant the water
bodies loaded with heavy metals. Aquatic plants can accumulate substantial amount
of heavy metals through active and passive absorption but the capacity of accumulation by different plant organ such as root, stem and leaves varied a lot
(Harguinteguy et al. 2014; Cai et al. 2018). Also, the studies on heavy metal
accumulation by Aquatic macrophytes have reported that the accumulation capacity
is maximum in submerged plants followed by free floating plants and is minimum in
Emergent plants but this capability is highly influenced by Aquatic environment as
well as plant species (Harguinteguy et al. 2014).
Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Salvinia auriculata and Lemna minor are
commonly occurring free floating aquatic plant species in wetlands of India. The
experimental data on accumulation efficiency of different heavy metals has proved
that these plants have great potential to clean up Aquatic Environment.
Eichhornia crassipes
This species is known to be highly tolerant to various pollutant including Heavy
metals and possess high magnitude of absorption of metals particularly Cd, Pb, Hg,
Cu, Ni and Zn. The accumulation of Cd-(97.5%), Hg-(99.9%), Pb-(83.4%) and
Ni-(95.1%) was reported when the initial concentration of Cd: 0.24, Hg: 4.971,
Pb: 1.199, Ni: 3.34 mg/l was present in industrial wastewater (Fazal et al. 2015). The
magnitude of absorption for water hyacinth was estimated at 0.24 kg/ha for Cd,
5.42 kg/ha for Pb, 21.62 kg/ha for Cu, 26.17 kg/ha for Zn, and 13.46 kg/ha for Ni in
Erh-Chung constructed wetlands of Taiwan (Liao and Chang 2004).
The plants exposed to Wastewater from steel effluents containing Al, Pb, AS, Cd,
Cu had accumulated (removed) Al-(73%), Pb-(73%,) As-(74%), Cd-(82.8%),
Cu-(78.6%) (Aurangzeb et al. 2014). Further, Cr accumulation had increased from
63% to 80% on 3rd and 9th day respectively while Zn accumulation had increased
from 67% to 96% and 100% on 9th, 12th and 15th day respectively on exposure of
the plant to the stock solution of the metal ions (Swarnalatha and Radhakrishnan
2015). This study had shown that water hyacinth is a felicitous candidate for
phytoremediation of waste water polluted with many heavy metals.
15 Potential of Free Floating Macrophytes for Bioremediation of Heavy Metals. . .
327