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Response of Pistia stratiotes to Heavy Metals (Cr, Ni, and Zn) and Phosphorous

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Abstract

The effects of Cr, Ni, Zn, and P exposure on the root anatomic structure, growth, and chlorophyll a concentration of Pistia stratiotes L. were studied. Plastic aquaria containing 50 g of wet plants and 5 L of pond water added with the contaminant(s) were disposed. The treatments were: (1) Cr, (2) Ni, (3) Zn, (4) P, (5) Cr + Ni + Zn, (6) Cr + Ni + Zn + P, and (7) control. Contaminant additions were done seven times. In each addition, concentrations of 1 mg of metals or 5 mg of P per liter of water were added. Chlorophyll a was an indicator more sensitive to Zn and Cr toxicity than the relative growth rate. Ni and Cr + Ni + Zn treatments were the most toxic ones, in which biomass and the root anatomical parameters (root length, cross-sectional areas [CSAs] of root, stele, and metaxylem vessels) decreased significantly. The addition of P to the treatment with combined metals attenuated the decrease in plant growth and root length, and caused a significant increase in CSAs of total metaxylem vessels, suggesting that P increased the tolerance of P. stratiotes to metals. This fact has important implications for the use of this macrophyte in constructed wetlands for industrial wastewater treatment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and Universidad Nacional del Litoral, CAI + D Project, for providing funds for this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Química Analítica, Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero, 2829, Santa Fe (3000), Argentina

    M. M. Mufarrege, H. R. Hadad & M. A. Maine

  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    M. M. Mufarrege, H. R. Hadad & M. A. Maine

Authors
  1. M. M. Mufarrege
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  2. H. R. Hadad
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  3. M. A. Maine
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Correspondence to M. M. Mufarrege.

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Mufarrege, M.M., Hadad, H.R. & Maine, M.A. Response of Pistia stratiotes to Heavy Metals (Cr, Ni, and Zn) and Phosphorous. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 58, 53–61 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9350-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9350-7

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