Phytoremediation of Copper Pollution by Eight Aquatic Plants.

This study investigated the uptake capacity and bioaccumulation of heavy metal (Cu) in water using eight different aquatic plant species: Juncus effusus, Acorus calamus, Eichhornia crassipes, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Arundina graminifolia, Echinodorus major, Nymphaea tetragona and Pistia stratiotes. The results showed that Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes have the best ability for bioaccumulation, while Arundina graminifolia, Nymphaea tetragona, and Acorus calamus also showed good bioaccumulation. However, Juncus effusus, Sagittaria sagittifolia, and Echinodorus major displayed very weak bioaccumulation. The enrichment capacity for Cu2+ in roots and shoots differed among species. Most of the Cu2+ was located in the shoot tissues of Juncus effuses, while for Sagittaria sagittifolia and Acorus calamus it accumulates in their root tissues. However, in the case of Echinodorus major the accumulation of copper content in root and shoot tissues is the same. The adsorption rates of heavy metal Cu in different aquatic plants were different. The adsorption rates of Eichhornia crassipus, Pistia stratiotes, Echinodorus major, and Nymphaea tetragona were higher than for Juncus effusus, Sagittaria sagittifolia, and Acorus calamus. When different aquatic plants reached the adsorption equilibrium, pH values were different. The Cu enrichment amount in aquatic plants was related to the content of lignin in plants, and the higher the content of lignin, the greater the amount of copper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]