Title: Use of aquatic plants in removing heavy metals from wastewater

Authors: Bhupinder Dhir

Addresses: Department of Environmental Biology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India

Abstract: Phytotechnologies involving use of plants for pollutant removal gained importance during the last two decades. Terrestrial and aquatic plants possess high metal sorption capacity, and hence find their use as inexpensive materials for removing metals from environment. Aquatic biomass irrespective living or dead, exhibits capacity to remove heavy metals from wastewater. The sequestration of heavy metals in plants is achieved mainly by absorption and accumulation mechanisms. Features such as high growth rate with high metal accumulation/retention capacity widen scope of aquatic plants for use as non-conventional sorbents and further strengthen their role in framing low cost, eco-friendly wastewater treatment technologies.

Keywords: aquatic plants; heavy metals; biosorption; bioaccumulation; wastewater treatment; bioremediation; environmental pollution; metal removal.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2010.029827

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2010 Vol.2 No.1/2/3, pp.185 - 201

Published online: 02 Dec 2009 *

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