Title : Phytoremediation: An emerging circular economy tool to conserve the ecological health status of floodplain wetland, India
Abstract:
The present study focuses on practicing phytoremediation tool to conserve ecological health for the freshwater Ganga floodplain wetland based on circular economy concept. The bioaccumulation and translocation factors (BCF and TF, respectively) were chosen to evaluate the potential activity of plants as phytoremediation. In general, metal concentrations in roots were usually higher than in stems and leaves. Some metals Cd and Cu, which concentrations were not detectable, and Cr in stems of all selected macrophyte, where the concentration reached up to four times more than in roots. Except for Zn, trace metals concentration was higher in stems than in leaves. Accounting all BCF observations, a sequence of trace metals preferentially transferred from sediment to below ground biomass of the three plants is Cd > Mn > Pb. This sequence does not coincide with the three species, except for Cd, probably due to the different source of metals in sediments and/or some site-specific lithogenic properties. The TF values < 1 highlighted that metals accumulated from rhizo-sediment were largely accumulated in roots. The results of BCF and TF values reveals that significant levels of metals were accumulated in roots than the aerial part, which communicated that the high bioavailability of substrates metals and limited translocation to the above ground biomass. This study draws a conclusion that all the investigated macrophyte species act as a sink, and only sporadically as a possible source, for several trace metals, which are not promptly available for the environment.
