Abstract
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) has been used for environmentally sustainable phytoremediation of water, though its use has been geographically restricted. For the first time we extend its geographical reach by investigating its potential for clean-up of water from a highly polluted British river (Nant-Y-Fendrod, a tributary of the River Tawe). Investigations using the plant were conducted at three levels: a bench-scale study using polluted river water and synthetic solutions; an in-situ trial using water hyacinth within the Nant-Y-Fendrod; and a bankside trial to pump and treat river water. The removal of the largest number of heavy metals (21) from water in a single study using ICP-MS is reported, including Sb, for the first time. Results are promising, with bench-scale tests demonstrating up to 63% removal of Al, 62% Zn, 47% Cd, 22% Mn and 23% As, during just seven hours exposure to the plant. When extended to three weeks exposure, removal is evident in the order Al > Cd > Zn > Mn > Ni > As > V. Furthermore, in-situ mean removal of 6%, 11% and 15% of Mn, Zn and Cd respectively is demonstrated. As the world learns to adapt to climate change, studies of the type reported here are needed to exploit the remarkable phytoremediation potential of water hyacinth.
Highlights
Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant which originated in the rain forests of the Amazon Basin and is a native plant of Brazil, among other countries in South America
As the world adapts to climate change, it is likely that plants native to one area may flourish in a completely different climatic region
Studies of certain plants with remarkable phytoremediation potential are often restricted to specific geographical regions and attempts to explore their performance in a climate where it normally does not flourish has not been tested, even though such types of studies are important in the context of sustainability and climate change
Summary
Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant which originated in the rain forests of the Amazon Basin and is a native plant of Brazil, among other countries in South America. To fill a gap in research in this area, we present in this manuscript a pioneering study that investigates the potential of the water hyacinth plant for removal of metals from a highly polluted British river (Nant-Y-Fendrod) at three different levels. Such types of study are important in that when a plant becomes invasive, a suitable use for it, in place of it being a nuisance requiring costly control mechanisms has several added benefits from a sustainability perspective[8]
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