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Phytoremediation of Mercury and Arsenic from Tropical Opencast Coalmine Effluent Through Naturally Occurring Aquatic Macrophytes

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Abstract

Under the present investigation phytoremediation of mercury and arsenic from a tropical open cast coalmine effluent was performed. Three aquatic macrophytes Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor and Spirodela polyrrhiza removed appreciable amount of mercury and arsenic during 21 days experiment. Removal capacities of these macrophytes were found in the order of E. crassipes > L. minor > S. polyrrhiza. Translocation factor (shot to root ratio of heavy metals) revealed low transportation of metals from root to leaves leading higher accumulation of metals in root as compared to leaves of the plant. It was evident from plant tissue analysis that mercury and arsenic up take by macrophytes had deteriorated the N, P, K, chlorophyll and protein content in these macrophytes. Correlations between removal of arsenic and mercury from mining effluent and its increase in plant parts were highly significant. Results favoured selected species to use as promising accumulator of metals.

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Acknowledgement

Authors are thankful to Mining Authorities; Northern Coal fields limited, Singrauli for their permission and co-operation during research and work Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi for financial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pollution Ecology Research Laboratory, Centre of Advanced study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India

    Virendra Kumar Mishra, Alka Rani Upadhyay, Vinita Pathak & B. D. Tripathi

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  1. Virendra Kumar Mishra
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  2. Alka Rani Upadhyay
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  3. Vinita Pathak
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  4. B. D. Tripathi
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Correspondence to Virendra Kumar Mishra.

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Mishra, V.K., Upadhyay, A.R., Pathak, V. et al. Phytoremediation of Mercury and Arsenic from Tropical Opencast Coalmine Effluent Through Naturally Occurring Aquatic Macrophytes. Water Air Soil Pollut 192, 303–314 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-008-9657-4

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