Phytoremediation applications in natural condition and in mesocosm: The uptake of cadmium by Lemna minuta Kunth, a non-native species in Italian watercourses.
Metal pollution in water and soil is an environmental and public health issue. Cadmium (Cd) is included in the list of priority hazardous substances in the European Water Framework Directive. Phytoremediation system is a cost-effective, plant-based approach that takes advantage of the ability of plants to concentrate elements and compounds from the environment and to metabolize various molecules in their tissues. We studied the presence and the importance of an invasive species, such as Lemna minuta, in the environment and the effects of Cd pollution on this species. Growth, removal, and tolerance were evaluated for different Cd concentrations and different times of plant exposure. Overall, the results show that L. minuta has a good capacity of growth, metal bioconcentration, and tolerance up to 3 days of exposure at 0.5 and 1.5 mg L-1of Cd. In particular, L. minuta was able to accumulate Cd up to 3771 mg kg-1on dry mass basis. We can conclude that L. minuta possesses a great capability of Cd absorption and accumulation, thus supporting a potential use of this species in designing a metal bioremediation system in phytoremediation field.
a Department of Environment and Primary Prevention , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome , Italy.|c Department of Environmental Biology , University "La Sapienza" , Rome , Italy.
Filippo
F
Chiudioni
b Centro di Ricerche di Metaponto ARPAB , Metaponto , Italy.
Teresa
T
Trabace
b Centro di Ricerche di Metaponto ARPAB , Metaponto , Italy.
Spartaco
S
Di Gennaro
b Centro di Ricerche di Metaponto ARPAB , Metaponto , Italy.
Achille
A
Palma
c Department of Environmental Biology , University "La Sapienza" , Rome , Italy.
Fausto
F
Manes
a Department of Environment and Primary Prevention , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome , Italy.
Laura
L
Mancini
D029064:Araceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism*; D058865:Introduced Species; D007558:Italy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium
Lemna minuta; cadmium; growth rate; phytoremediation; tolerance index