Phytoremediation of iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

This study was carried out to investigate the ability of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.]Solms) to absorb and translocate iron (Fe) and copper (Cu). The study was conducted with three concentration gradients of Fe and Cu at 10mg/l, 15mg/l, 20mg/l and control (no metal); the whole set-up was done in triplicates and the experiment lasted for 12 weeks. The results showed that iron (Fr) had the highest accumulation value in the root (1.12 ~c 0.42), while copper (Cu) had the highest value in the leave (0.38 ~c 0.06); both at 20mg/l. Statistical analysis showed that there was significant difference among treatment (p&lt0.05). Translocation factor (TF) is the ratio between metal concentrations in aerial part to metal concentration in the root. Metals that are accumulated by plants and largely stort in the roots are indicated by TF values less than 1, when greater than 1, its indicate good translocation capabilities. The TF value for Fe ranged from 0.49 ~c 0.57- 0.68 ~c 0.27 in leaf, and 0.64 ~c 0.17- 0.77 ~c 0.18 in the stem. While the Translocation factor values for Ca ranged from 0.78 ~c 0.08- 1.12 ~c 0.12 in leaf and 0.72 ~c 0.32- 1.09 ~c 0.19 in the stem. This reveals that Cu had better translocation capability than Fe. Highest values of bioconcentration factor (BCF) for Fe and Cu were 2.32 ~c 0.65 at 20mg/l and 0.72 ~c 0.01 at 15mg/l obtained in the root and leaf respectively, indicating that the accumulation potential of Fe by water hyacinth is higher than Cu. In conclusion, according to the accumulation capabilities of the investigated plant (Eichhornia crassipes), this study showed that the plant was found to be a promising candidate for phytoremediation and adequate for bio-monitoring programs for contaminated water.

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