Heavy metal recovery by native macrophytes from Subarnarekha river-India

Macrophytes are considered as important component of the aquatic ecosystem not only as food source for aquatic invertebrates, but also act as an efficient accumulator of heavy metals. In the present study, higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in sediments form different sites (from river water to upto ocean) of Subernarekha River. The Cf for heavy metals in sediments was generally increased from site S-1 to site S-10, and the metals trends were Cu>Pb>Zn>Al>Mn>Cr>Fe>Cd>Co>Ni. Site S-10 showed, maximum Cf for cadmium among all sites. A native macrophyte H. verticillata showed maximum uptake of different metals like Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Co and Cd followed by E. crassipes, T. capensis and V. spiralis. Maximum metal uptake (μg/gDW) observed for Al:890, Fe:1511, Mn:1537 & Cu;423, Zn:390 & Cr: 267 by H. verticillata, V. spiralis and E.crassipes and T. capensis respectively. Dry weight, Chl-a, Chl-b and carotenoid levels were not significantly (p<0.05) influenced under high concentration of metals uptake among all native species of macrophytes.