Pb Removal from Contaminated Water Using EDTA with Colocasiaesculenta (L.) Schott at Klity Creek, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Pantawat Sampanpanish,Yotsavanun Hongpiriyakul

doi:10.3844/ajessp.2018.110.117

Abstract

This study investigated lead (Pb) removal using a plant called‘Elephant Ear’ (Colocasiaesculenta (L.) Schott) from contaminated waterat Klity Creek, located in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Plants weregrown in contaminated water with lead carbonate (Pb(CO3)2) in a nursery. The experiment was divided into 4 sets; (1) With Pb but without EDTA, (2) With Pb and EDTA 0.01 millimole (mM) per liter (mM L-1), (3) With Pband EDTA 0.02 mM L-1 and (4) With Pb and EDTA 0.03 mM L-1. These plants were grown, maintained and harvested every 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 days. Plant samples were separated into three parts; leaf, petiole and root. They were analyzed in terms of total lead (TPb) content, including the water solution. The results showed that Pb accumulation in Elephant ear was relatively significant in all of the experiment sets (p petioles > leaves were significant with 502.84, 126.19 and 91.06 mg kg-1 (p<0.05) at EDTA of 0.02 mM set, respectively. Plants exhibited signs of phytotoxicity, such as wilting and curling of their leaves, yellow color appearing in the leaf margins and the plants eventually dying. These effects could be used as an indicator for determining the presence of Pb in contaminated water and soil.

Highlights

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal that is used in many industries, such as in the production of batteries and telephone cables; as a result, is widely mined around the world
The results showed that the Turf grass absorbed heavy metals, with the trend of absorption increasing when the concentration of EDTA increased
The results showed that EDTA potentially reduced the phytotoxicity of heavy metal to Chinese mustard and enhanced the cadmium accumulation

Summary

Introduction

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal that is used in many industries, such as in the production of batteries and telephone cables; as a result, is widely mined around the world. Sludge and waste from industrial usage and mining are major causes of Pb contamination in soil and water. This inevitably has an impact on the ecosystem, vegetation, animals and health and sanitation of humans, as well as disrupting the food chain (Chen et al, 2006). There are numerous remediation technologies being used to clean up heavy metal contamination in water, soil and sediment. These techniques include in situ physical and chemical processes (soil flushing, solidification and stabilization), thermal processes, ex situ physical and chemical processes (soil washing, chemical reduction and oxidation)and other processes including excavation and off-site disposal (Sampanpanish et al, 2006; Sampanpanish, 2015). Chemical and physical treatment techniques are considered to be potentially more cost effective than biological treatments

Methods

Results

Conclusion