Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Organs of Aqueous Plants and Its Association With Bottom Sediments in Bug River (Poland)

Abstract

The article presents the results of studies upon metals (Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Co) in bottom sediments and in various parts of the aquatic plants taken from the Bug river (Poland). The metal contents in the examined environmental elements were determined by AAS technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of metals in bottom sediments and macrophytes (root, stem, leaf) occurring in the Bug river. It was hypothesized that the heavy metal content in plant tissues reflects the amount of metals in sediments. It has been shown that the average metal distribution in the examined plants present in the Bug river and bottom sediments was as follows: Pb, Zn, Co, and Cu sediments>root>leaf>stem, while in the case of Ni and Cr, the contents were greater in roots than in sediment (root>sediment>leaf>stem), although the differences in contents were not large. The study showed that most metals are present in roots and only a small part of them is transported to the stem and leaves. The size of the metal movement within plants may depend on their contents. It was found that for Ni, Cr and Cu in 2014, the bioaccumulation factor was above one, which confirms the high efficiency of metals uptake from the environment as evidenced by statistical analysis. Bioaccumulation factor (BF) was smaller than one for Pb, Co and Zn, confirming the high ability to retain metals in the root. Aquatic plants are an effective barrier for the surface water by accumulating heavy metals in their biomass. Macrophytes are proposed to monitor the river pollution.

Metals in organs of bottom sediments and aquatic plants of the Ełk River and its tributaries

“…River sediments play an important role in the circulation of elements in aquatic ecosystems (Skorbiłowicz et al 2016). The content of metals in bottom sediments is an indicator of their long-term accumulation in reservoirs and watercourse sediments (Baldantoni et al 2005).…”

“…Analysis of bottom sediment composition is also necessary to recognize the sources and routes of trace metal migration in aquatic ecosystems (Głosińska & Siepak 2007, Choiński et al 2010, Ibragimow et al 2010. Macrophytes, due to their constant contact with water and an extensive micronutrient accumulation system, have been used for many years as a biological indicator material (Rabajczyk & Jóźwiak 2008, Skorbiłowicz et al 2016, constituting an additional element in the assessment of metal concentrations in river and lake waters (Ali & Jain 2001, Fediuc & Erdei 2002, Mazej & Germ 2009. Aquatic plants are used in the biomonitoring of the environment due to their ability to accumulate large amounts of metals (Gundersen & Steinnes 2001, Fritioff & Greger 2006, Bonanno 2010.…”

Effect of bottom sediments on the nutrient and metal concentration in macrophytes of river-lake systems

“…However, aquatic plants can accumulate high concentrations of toxic metals, to levels exceeding the norms for soil or sediments (Branković et al, 2012). According to Skorbiłowicz et al (2016), the content of heavy metals in plant tissues reflects the content of metals in sediments. In turn, according to Duarte and Kalff (1988), morphometrical characteristics of water bodies, i.e.…”

Toxic Elements Contents and Associated Potential Ecological Risk in the Bottom Sediments of Hrazdan River Under the Impact of Yerevan City (Armenia)

“…Kumanova, 2012). The minimal mean value is registered for the Bug River (Poland) which is almost not impacted by a man and lacks any pronounced pollution sources (Skorbiłowicz et al, 2016). In the Hrazdan, mean contents of nickel make 48mg/kg and are mainly due to the chemical composition of surface runoffs in Yerevan, where no pronounced pollution sources are found either.…”

“…In France, in the region adjoining the Gironde, once operated a zinc deposit, which is the cause of such contents of this element (Larrose et al, 2010). Relatively to the rest three rivers, no pronounced zinc pollution sources are identified either (Larrose et al, 2010) (Skorbiłowicz et al, 2016)(Da Silva et al, 2019) (Mortatti et al, 2013).…”