International Journal of Environmental Sciences
Year : 2010, Volume : 1, Issue : 4
First page : ( 523) Last page : ( 528)
Online ISSN : 0976-4402.

Wetland Macrophytes as toxic metal accumulators

Ghosh S.

Department of Botany, M.U. C. Women's College, B.C. Road, Burdwan  West Bengal, India  drsukumar.ghosh@gmail.com

Online published on 3 January, 2012.

Abstract

Wetland, the natural habitat of many macrophytic plants, is engaged in cleaning up of different watersoluble pollutants involving its macrophytes. In this work two less investigated macrophytes like Hydrilla verticillata and Ipomoea aquatica were selected to test their scavenging capacity for toxic metals such as cadmium, lead and metalloid like arsenic. From the accumulation capacity of Hydrilla verticillata it appeared that this plant has strong appetite for arsenic and cadmium but its appetite for lead is not so strong. It was observed that Ipomoea aquatica might be considered as the efficient accumulator of cadmium, moderately effective accumulator of lead, but not so efficient in accumulation of arsenic. From this work it may be claimed that the macrophytes tested here are largely involved in purifying the water contaminated with toxic metals and metalloids and this work may be considered as an effort to appeal to promote the conservation of the wetlands those play a key role in recycling process depolluting the ecosystem.

Top

Keywords

Wetland, Macrophyte, Toxic Metal, Accumulator, Conservation.

Top