Translocation, accumulation and bioindication of trace elements in wetland plants

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Science of The Total Environment, Volumes 631–632
Author(s): Giuseppe Bonanno, Jan Vymazal, Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli
This study aimed to shed further light on the capacity of macrophytes to translocate, accumulate and bioindicate the levels of trace elements present in contaminated water and sediments. Specifically, this study aimed to find evidence whether translocation, accumulation and bioindication are dependent on the kind of trace element and plant species. To investigate the correlation between trace elements in plants and in the environment, the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were analyzed in twenty different wetland plants, and in water and sediments from a wetland area affected by urban and industrial pollutants. Results showed that wetland plants share some common characteristics such as high tolerance to toxic element levels, capacity of phytostabilization and different element concentrations in the various organs. Moreover, element translocation from sediments to roots seems more influenced by the kind of plant species and trace element, whereas translocation across the various organs seems mainly species-specific. No clear patterns of trace element translocation were identified according to plant life forms.

Graphical abstract

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