Abstract
The potential of Wolffia globosa, a profusely occurring rootless duckweed, was evaluated as an indicator of metal pollution in the water bodies. Plants of W. globosa were cultured in 3% Hoagland's nutrient medium which was supplemented with 0.05, 0.1, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L of Cr and Cd. Plants showed substantial accumulation of both the metals at lowest concentrations. For example, at 0.05 ppm, the concentration factor (Cf) value for Cr was significantly higher (5616) than for Cd (1018). A high level of tolerance was shown by the plants to both Cr and Cd. The results show that the plants are sensitive to the variations in metal concentration and are capable of high metal enrichment at very low ambient concentration of the metals. This information may be useful for detecting metals in the water.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, F.S., Colf, H., Jr., and Massie, L.B.: 1973, ‘Element Constitution of Selected Aquatic Vascular Plants from Pennsylvania: Submerged and Floating Leaved Species and Rooted Emergent Species’, Environ. Pollut. 5, 117–147.
Arnon, D.I.: 1949, ‘Copper Enzyme in Isolated Chloroplasts Polyphenoloxidase in Beta vulgaris’, Plant Physiol. 24, 115.
Burton, M.A.S.: 1986, ‘Biological Monitoring of Environmental Contamination (Plants)’, prepared by Monitoring and Assessment Research Centre, Kings College, Univ. of London, pp. 175–188.
Charpentier, S., Garnier, J., and Flaugnatti, R.: 1987, ‘Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of Cadmium in Experimental Cultures of Duckweed Lemna polyrrhiza L.’, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 38, 1055–1061.
Corradi, M., Realini, M., and Bassi, M.: 1987, ‘Morphological Alterations Induced by Cr+6 in Fresh Water Plants’, 14th Int. Bot. Congr. Berlin, Abst., 407 pp.
Environmental Protection Agency: 1975, ‘Test Methods for Assessing the Effects of Chemicals on Plants’, in: R. Rubinstien and J. Smith (Eds.), EPA-560-17-008 Final Report, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC.
Glandon, R.P. and McNabb, C.D.: 1978, ‘The Uptake of Boron by Lemna minor’, Aquat. Bot. 4, 53–64.
Guilizzoni, P.: 1991, ‘The Role of Heavy Metals and Toxic Materials in the Physiological Ecology of Submerged Macrophytes’, Aquat. Bot. 41, 87–109.
Husak, S., Sladecek, V., and Stadeckova, A.: 1989, ‘Fresh Water Macrophytes as Indicators of Organic Pollution’, Acta Hydrochim Hydrobiol. 17, 693–697.
Hutchinson, T.C. and Czyrska, H.: 1975, ‘Heavy Metal Toxicity and Synergism to Floating Aquatic Weeds’, Verh. Int. Ver. Limnol. 19, 2102–2111.
Jain, S.A., Vasundevan, P., and Jha, N.K.: 1989, ‘Removal of Some Heavy Metals from Polluted Water by Aquatic Plants: Studies on Duckweed and Water Velvet’, Biological Wastes 28, 115–126.
Lisiecki, J.B. and McNabb, C.D.: 1975, ‘Dynamics of Hazardous Elements in Waste Water Ponds’. National Technical Information Service Springfield, VA, PB-248-404.
Mangi, J., Schmidt, K., Gaines, L., and Turner, P.: 1978, ‘Effects of Chromium on Some Aquatic Plants’, Environ. Pollut. 16, 285–291.
Nagano, T., Haltori, S., Nagai, T., Ukishima, Y., Unno, C., and Honma, T.: 1975, ‘Studies on Accumulation of Heavy Metals by Chlorella. Influence of Deleterious Concentration of Mercury, Cadmium, and Copper on the Growth of Chlorella’, Jour. Hygiene. Chem. 21, 301.
Nasu, Y. and Kugimoto, M.: 1981, ‘Lemna (Duckweed) as an Indicator of Waste Pollution. I. The Sensitivity of Lemna Paucicostata to Heavy Metals’, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 10, 159–169.
Nasu, Y., Kugimoto, M., Tanaka, O., and Takimoto, A.: 1983, ‘Comparative Studies on the Absorption of Cadmium and Copper in Lemna Paucicostata’, Environ. Pollut. Ser. A 32, 201–209.
Nasu, Y., Kugimoto, M., Tanaka, O., and Takimoto, A.: 1984, ‘Lemna as an Indicator of Water Pollution and the Absorption of Heavy Metals by Lemna’, in: Pascoe, D. and Edwards, R.W. (Eds.), Fresh Water Biological Monitoring, Conference Proceedings Pergamon, Oxford, U.K., 113–120 pp.
Ray, S.N. and White, W.J.: 1979, ‘Equisetum Arvense — ‘An Aquatic Vascular Plant as a Biological Monitor for Heavy Metal Pollution’’, Chemosphere 8, 125–128.
Rodgers, J.H. Jr., Cherry, D.S., and Guthrie, R.K.: 1978, ‘Cycling of Elements in Duckweed (Lemna Perpusilla)’, in: An Ash Settling Basin and Swamp Drainage System Water Res. 12, 765–770.
Schefler, W.C.: 1969, Statistics for the Biological Sciences, Addison Wesley, London.
Sculthorpe, C.D.: 1967, The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants, Edward Arnold, London, 610 pp.
Werff, M. van der and Pruyt, M.J.: 1982, ‘Long Term Effects of Heavy Metals on Aquatic Plants’, Chemosphere 11, 727–739.
Whitton, B.A.: 1979, ‘Plants as Indicators of River Water Quality’, in: G.A. James and E. Lilean (Eds.), Biological Indicators of Water Quality, Wiley, London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
NBRI Research Publication No. 401 (N.S.)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grag, P., Chandra, P. The duckweed Wolffia globosa as an indicator of heavy metal pollution: Sensitivity to Cr and Cd. Environ Monit Assess 29, 89–95 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00546781
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00546781