Abstract
The environmental ramifications of heavy metal releases from natural and anthropogenic activities are well known. Traditional remediation techniques for cleaning metal-contaminated sites are often prohibitively expensive. For sites with low concentrations of contaminants, which do not pose an imminent threat to humans or the environment, justifying the gigantic treatment cost is difficult. For such sites, phytoremediation is a low-cost alternative that is worth considering. This research focused on assessing the lead and arsenic uptake potential of alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.) in a laboratory setting. Results indicated that metal concentrations in plant tissues were directly proportional to the metal concentration in the aqueous phase (1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 ppm). The bioconcentration factor (BCF) in the roots ranged from 288 to 413 for plants exposed to lead and from 106 to 191 for plants exposed to arsenic. The root metal concentrations were consistently higher than the stem and leaf concentrations, indicating the need for complete plant extraction to maximize the metal removal from a contaminated site.
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