title: Biosorption of arsenic from groundwater using Vallisneria gigantea plants. Kinetics, equilibrium and photophysical considerations.
abstract: Arsenic (V) uptake from groundwater by using Vallisneria gigantea plants was studied using batch experiments. Reflectance and fluorescence of intact plants were investigated and changes in photophysical properties following arsenic absorption were reported. Good correlations have been found between arsenic concentration in groundwater and parameters derived from reflectance and fluorescence measurements. This system reached its equilibrium after seven days when the removal quantities were strongly dependent on the initial arsenic concentration. Interestingly, Vallisneria plants were able to accumulate from 100 to 600 mg As kg(-1) in roots and fronds although the translocation factors were low (0.6-1.6). Kinetic data for biosorption process followed a first-order law. At low arsenic concentrations the uptake in plants was governed by diffusion aspects. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich models were applied and results demonstrated that arsenic uptake was better described by the Langmuir model. As a final remark we concluded that a plant of this species should be able to remove 1mg As per week.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Animal/INPA(UBA-CONICET)/Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios del Agua (CETA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Chorroarín 280, C1427CWO, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: iriel.analia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Analia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iriel
authors.affiliation: INQUIMAE/Dpto. de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, 1er piso, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M Gabriela
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lagorio
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Animal/INPA(UBA-CONICET)/Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios del Agua (CETA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Chorroarín 280, C1427CWO, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández Cirelli
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001151:Arsenic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004058:Diffusion; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D031321:Hydrocharitaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Chlorophyll emission; Equilibrium isotherms; Kinetics; Reflectance