USE of aquatic plants for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater

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Abstract
The biomass yield, efficiency to uptake heavy metals and metal concentration factor (MCF) were calculated for Salvinia and Spirodela. These plants were used for the removal of lead and zinc, from their synthetic solutions of single and mixed groups in laboratory conditions in two different seasons (August‐November ‘90 and April‐July ‘91). In both seasons the maximum yield was observed for Spirodela in lead solutions, while in case of zinc solutions the maximum yield was observed for Salvinia in months of August‐November ‘90 and Spirodela in April‐July ‘91. Metal ion concentration after 14 days of contact time was higher in Spirodela in both seasons in single group of solutions. But, a similar trend was not observed with mixed group. The metal ions uptake data show that 70–90 and 50–95 percent removal of lead and zinc by both aquatic plants after first 2 days of contact time for single and mixed group metal ions, respectively. But, the values of 52–73 and 31–69 percent were observed for single and mixed groups, respectively, after 14 days of contact time. MCF for both aquatic plants was also calculated, and it was found that Spirodela is more effective than Salvinia for the removal of lead and zinc.