Abstract
The present study reports the capacity of the aquatic macrophyte Lemna minor to remediate combinations of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cr(III) from a simulated natural environment. The effect of these metal mixtures on the growth of L. minor was also investigated using growth rate and biomass inhibition calculations. L. minor was successful in removing Cr and Pb from the water, and it remained an effective remediation agent when both metals were present in the environment. However, a relatively low absorption capacity was observed for Cu, increasing concentrations of which were associated with significant decreases in growth rate. No statistically significant difference was found between the 24 h and 7 days absorption rates of Cu, Pb and Cr, suggesting that, at the concentrations tested, equilibrium occurs within 24 h of metal exposure.
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Acknowledgments
This research project (No. 111Y202) was supported by TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey). The authors are grateful to Fatma Kılıç, Gültekin Yılmaz and Dr. Fatih Duman for their valuable assistance.
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Üçüncü, E., Tunca, E., Fikirdeşici, Ş. et al. Phytoremediation of Cu, Cr and Pb Mixtures by Lemna minor . Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 91, 600–604 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1107-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1107-3