A phytoremediation approach using Calamagrostis ligulata and Juncus imbricatus in Andean wetlands of Peru

Abstract

Emergent plant species growing in Andean natural wetlands have shown efficient phytoremediation capabilities in wetlands polluted by acid mine drainage. However, the types and amounts of heavy metals accumulated by native plant species are not well understood. In this study, we focused on determining heavy metal concentrations and bioaccumulation factors in Calamagrostis ligulata and Juncus imbricatus. Two acid wetlands located above 3,500 m a.s.l. in Ancash, Peru were assessed. Physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals concentrations in control and experimental plant samples were measured in dry and rainy seasons. Results indicated that C. ligulata and J. imbricatus aerial parts accumulated higher amounts of Fe, Zn, As and Al. Also, bioaccumulation factors revealed notable increases in As, Pb and Al, but less so in Cd, Fe and Zn. On the other hand, physico-chemical parameters of water quality (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, sulphides) between inflow and outflow of wetlands indicated significant differences in the presence of metals in comparison with their maximum permissible limits. Both emergent plant species showed an accumulation of heavy metals and thus the ability to recovery of water quality in wetland outflows.

Influence of Soil Chemistry and Plant Physiology in the Phytoremediation of Cu, Mn, and Zn

“…Similar percentages of Zn removal were also observed when A. pinnata and L. minor were used (Vaseem and Banerjee, 2012). Other plant species such as T. latifolia (Sasmaz et al, 2008), C. ligulata, J. imbricatus (Miguel et al, 2013), E. acicularis (Ha et al, 2009), P. cummunis, T. angustifolia, C. esculentus (Chandra andYadav, 2011) and P. stratiotes (Lu et al, 2011) have shown potential to remediate Zn-contaminated waters.…”

Nickel bioaccumulation by the chosen plant species

“…Research conducted by many authors revealed that some plant species, owing to their specific features, have the ability to absorb and degrade xenobiotics polluting the environment through their active impact on physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in nature, changing them to enable their own life cycle to take place. Moreover, these plants possess defense mechanisms, absorbing, metabolizing and/or concentrating toxic substances in their own tissues and in this way cleaning the environment (Padmavathiamma and Li 2007;Ramamurthy and Memarian 2012;Miguel et al 2013). A toxic effect of nickel on plants observed in the presented investigations was visible as leaf chloroses, deformation of the aboveground parts and roots.…”

The changing water cycle: climatic and socioeconomic drivers of water‐related changes in the Andes of Peru

“…These wetlands act as buffers to seasonal dry conditions and contamination by, e.g., heavy metals, thus securing water quantity and quality. [87][88][89] Peat bogs are highly susceptible to climate change and other anthropogenic impacts. Changes in climatic patterns combined with glacier shrinkage and, e.g., mining and Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) activities could severely alter and fragment these fragile ecosystems thus affecting long-term water storage.…”