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Physico-chemical assessment of paper mill effluent and its heavy metal remediation using aquatic macrophytes—a case study at JK Paper mill, Rayagada, India

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Abstract

The present investigation aims to assess the phytoremediation potential of six aquatic macrophytes, viz. Eichhornia crassipes, Hydrilla verticillata, Jussiaea repens, Lemna minor, Pistia stratiotes and Trapa natans grown in paper mill effluent of JK Paper mill of Rayagada, Orissa, for remediation of heavy metals. The experiment was designed in pot culture experiments. Assessment of physico-chemical parameters of paper mill effluent showed significant decrease in pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, chlorine, sulphur, biological and chemical oxygen demand after growth of macrophytes for 20 days. Phytoremediation ability of these aquatic macrophytic species for copper (Cu) and mercury (Hg) was indicated by assessing the decrease in the levels of heavy metals from effluent water. Maximum reduction (66.5 %) in Hg content of untreated paper mill effluent was observed using L. minor followed by T. natans (64.8 %). L. minor showed highest reduction (71.4 %) of Cu content from effluent water followed by E. crassipes (63.6 %). Phytoextraction potential of L. minor was remarkable for Hg and Cu, and bioaccumulation was evident from bioconcentration factor values, i.e. 0.59 and 0.70, respectively. The present phytoremediation approach was considered more effective than conventional chemical treatment method for removing toxic contaminants from paper mill effluent.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Environment Director and Environment Manager, JK Paper mill, Rayagada, Orissa, India for providing adequate laboratory facilities during the research work. The authors are also very much thankful to Dr. Surajit Das, Assistant Professor, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India for statistical analysis (principal component analysis) of the data using SPSS 16.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Post Graduate Department of Botany, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Orissa, India

    Swayamprabha Mishra, Monalisa Mohanty, Ritarani Das & Santilata Sahoo

  2. Laboratory of Environmental Physiology and Plant Biochemistry, Post Graduate Department of Botany, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Orissa, India

    Monalisa Mohanty & Hemanta Kumar Patra

  3. Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology and Microbiology, Post Graduate Department of Botany, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Orissa, India

    Chinmay Pradhan

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  1. Swayamprabha Mishra
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  2. Monalisa Mohanty
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Correspondence to Monalisa Mohanty.

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Mishra, S., Mohanty, M., Pradhan, C. et al. Physico-chemical assessment of paper mill effluent and its heavy metal remediation using aquatic macrophytes—a case study at JK Paper mill, Rayagada, India. Environ Monit Assess 185, 4347–4359 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2873-9

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