Potentials of aquatic macrophyte species for bioremediation of metal contaminated wastewater

The potential ability of aquatic plants naturally grown in marshlands and wetlands receiving municipal sewage from Solapur city were sampled. These macrophytes were exposed to a mixed test bath of metals and examined to know their potentialities to accumulate heavy metals for judging their suitability for phytoremediation technology. Potentialities for metal absorption, accumulation, magnification and enrichment were found to be dependent on the plant species and metal types. The studies were conducted from June 2014 to June 2018. The plant species tested in present investigation for accumulation of heavy metals were Eichhornia crassipes, Eichhornia azurea, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Salvinia molesta, Chara vulgaris, Salvinia auriculata, Pistia stratiotes and Ipomoea aquatic from the group of floating macrophytes, Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogetor pectinatus, Potamogetor perfoliatus, Sagittaria sagittifolia L. and Colocasia esculenta from the group of Submerged macrophytes and Cyperus esculentus, Typha domingensis, Phragmites australies, Cyprus alopecnroide, Cyperus longus, Echinochloa stagninum, Typha angustifolia L., Typha lotifolia and Iris pseudacorus from the group of Emergent macrophytes. Metals in all species were higher in roots than shoots. The highest level of Fe phyto-absorption was 1475.9 µg/g in Salvinia auriculata and 1134.6 µg/g in Eichhornia crassipes in the roots whereas the measured lowest level of 0.06 µg/g was observed in the leaves of Cyprus alopecnroide species.