Cobalt and nickel content in Hydrocharis morsus-ranae and their bioremoval from single- and binary solutions

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 25; no. 32; pp. 32044 - 32052
• Main Authors: Polechońska, Ludmiła, Samecka-Cymerman, Aleksandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-11-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accumulators; Aquatic plants; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Bioremediation; Cobalt; Cobalt - analysis; Cobalt - metabolism; Competition; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Heavy metals; Hydrocharis morsus-ranae; Hydrocharitaceae - metabolism; Macrophytes; Metals; Nickel; Nickel - analysis; Nickel - metabolism; Phytoremediation; Plant tissues; Radioisotopes; Research Article; Toxicants; Trace Elements; Trace metals; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control; Weight; Aquatic macrophyte; Bioremoval; Metal interactive effects; European frog-bit; Trace metal; Phytoremediation
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3181-x

Aquatic macrophytes are known to remove trace metals from surrounding water. In the present study, an attempt was made to evaluate the phytofiltration capacity of
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
and to show competition between cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) for the better understanding of metal bioaccumulation in the species. In a laboratory experiment,
H. morsus-ranae
was exposed to separate (single) and binary solutions of these metals: Ni 10.7, 18.7, 32.7, 57.1, and 100 (μg L
−1
); Co 5.33, 9.32, 16.3, 28.6, and 50.0 (μg L
−1
); and 10.7 Ni + 5.33 Co, 18.7 Ni + 9.32 Co, 32.7 Ni + 16.3 Co, 57.1 Ni + 28.6 Co, 100 Ni + 50.0 Co (μg L
−1
). The content of Co and Ni in the plant increased with the increasing concentration in the growth medium. Competition between the metals was seen during uptake in binary solutions. Ni interfered with the accumulation of Co, resulting in a lower Co content than in plants cultivated in Co solutions. A particularly high Co content (up to 155 mg kg
−1
dry weight [d.w.]) and high efficiency of Ni uptake (Bioaccumulation Factor (BF) 2572–7239) makes the species a very good accumulator of these metals. The high content of both trace metals in plant tissues (up to 511 mg kg
−1
d.w. Ni and 155 mg kg
−1
d.w. Co) did not affect its growth, indicating tolerance of these toxicants. The plant showed excellent ability in removing Co (up to 98.6% in solution with 5.33 μg L
−1
Co) and Ni (up to 91.4% in solution with 57.1 μg L
−1
Ni and 28.6 μg L
−1
Co) from nutrient solution. The results suggest that
H. morsus-ranae
may be useful for the phytoremediation of water bodies contaminated with Co and Ni.