Studies on removal of heavy metals by cymbopogon flexuosus

Heavy metals are causing serious health hazard due to its toxicity and persistence in soil and aqueous medium too. Heavy metals contamination in drinking water has become a major cause of concern for the environmentalists. Arsenic(III) and Chromium(VI) is widely distributed in aqueous medium in the Gangetic plain causing skin pigmentation and liver disorders. Fluoride is also a major pollutant of drinking water in southern part of the Ganges. Several methods of removal of heavy metals from aqueous medium e.g. precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange are in practice. But the naturally grown aquatic weeds, biomass and medicinal plants can be utilized for the removal of arsenic and chromium(VI) from aqueous medium. Medicinal plants e.g. Cymbopogon flexuosus (Lemon grass) is grown by farmers in this area due to its aroma. In the present study, medicinal plants have been put to study by taking different masses up to fixed interval of time in the synthetic solutions of As(III) and Cr(VI). The kinetic study of adsorption of As(III) and Cr(VI) by Lemon grass has been done with a view to know the order and characteristics of the reaction.

Medicinal plants growing in this area.

Removal of Cr(VI) and As(III) from aqueous medium.

Cymbopogon flexuosus (Lemon grass) as accumulator of Cr(VI) and As(III)