Daniel Henderson, Sean Nugent Mentor: Dr. F.

Ryvkin Chemistry Department, Emmanuel College, Boston MA

BACKGROUND

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The use of plants for cleaning up contamination of soil, groundwater, surface water and air. Proven to be a successful way to decrease the concentration of some common pollutants in these sites Many laboratory and field tests have demonstrated that plants and other vegetation can absorb, transform, or contain a variety of contaminants, including soft and heavy metals and volatile organics through absorption and other activity in the root zone. Major barrier to the implementation of bioremediation is that it is new and not fully developed and there is little regulatory experience with it.

LEAD:
Lead is a highly toxic metal, dangerous to children at levels greater than 25 g/dL Causes behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures, slow growth, hearing problems, and death. Lead has a cumulative effect on children who are at higher risk for exposure and absorption than adults US Standards for lead concentration: -In Soil: 400 ppm -In Paint: 5,000 ppm
behavioral problems learning disabilities seizures reproductive problems (in both men and women) High blood pressure Digestive problems Nerve disorders Memory problems Muscle and joint pain and even death. Lead is most dangerous concerning the health of a child. It can slow growth and cause hearing problems and headaches as well as the same symptoms adults suffer from.

Arsenic:
Disrupts the digestive system Liver and kidney damage. Can also lead to central and peripheral nervous system disorders.

Mercury (primarily from methylmercury):

Impairs the development of the fetus causing impacts on: Cognitive thinking Memory Attention Language Fine motor visual and spatial skills Cadmium: diarrhea muscle cramps salivation sensory disturbances liver injury convulsions shock and renal failure Nausea Vomiting

Aquatic organisms may be adversely affected by heavy metals in the environment. The toxicity is largely a function of the water chemistry and sediment composition in the surface water system Slightly elevated metal levels in natural waters may cause the following effects in aquatic organisms:
histological or morphological change in tissues changes in physiology, such as suppression of growth and development change in biochemistry, such as enzyme activity and blood chemistry change in behavior and changes in reproduction

Research has shown that aquatic plants are not able to successfully regulate metal uptake, and so the water resource should be managed for the protection of fish and invertebrates, in order to ensure aquatic plant survivability.

 Perennial fresh water flowering plant Widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions Leaves possess swollen portions that act as floats Extensive root system projects beneath water surface Under ideal growing conditions the plants form a floating mat that can double in size in two weeks Water hyacinth plants have been shown to absorb remarkable amounts of pollutants such as cadmium, zinc and arsenic

Plants used to decontaminate soils through the process of bioremediation must do one or more of the following : take up contaminants from soil particles and/or soil liquid into their roots bind the contaminant into their root tissue, physically and/or chemically transport the contaminant from their roots into growing shoots prevent or inhibit the contaminant from leaching out of the soil

 Negative effects of Nutrient Enriched Environments on Bioremediation:

Bioavailable fraction of metals reduces as a result of binding to nutrient anions. Competition between metals and nutrient cations for uptake sites results in decreased absorption.

continued

Positive effects of Nutrient Enriched Environments on Bioremediation:

Increased nutrients promotes plant growth. Plant growth in turn creates an increasing number of uptake sites for metals. Increased uptake sites for metals increases the uptake and concentrations of metals in the plants.

All plants were cultivated in plastic tubs containing artificial pond water Lead nitrate was added to the container with the experimental plants Control plants were not exposed to lead solution At predetermined intervals samples of water and plants were removed for analysis Water samples were analyzed for the presence of lead using flame atomic absorption (210VG Buck Scientific Model) Plants were divided into separate root and leaf samples Root and leaf samples were oven dried, weighed and extracted by boiling in a cocktail of nitric and hydrochloric acid After filtration, the extracts were analyzed in the same fashion

Lead Stems vs. Lead Control

3

2.5

ppm

1.5

Lead Stems Control Stems

0.5

0 Day 0 Day 2 Day 5

Plant with Lead vs. Control

12

10

[Pb] (ppm)

Day 1
Control

Day 2
Plant roots w ith Lead

Data shows that water hyacinth plants effectively remove lead from solution. The water hyacinth plant works as a bioaccumulator, drawing heavy metal ions in solution into the roots and up through the stem and stolons, leaves, etc. Within five days there was over four times less lead in the water than there was in the plant roots, and the data from Day 5 samples (both roots and stems exposed to 2ppm Lead) suggest the mechanics of lead uptake. The lead ions are drawn up via diffusion into the plant roots and up the stem and leaf systems.

 Determine how the nutrient levels effect the absorption levels of the water hyacinth, and investigate the ion selectivity of the water hyacinth in the uptake of heavy metals Investigate nutrients such as potassium, nitrates, and phosphates for their individual effect on the water hyacinths uptake of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.

 We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our faculty mentors for encouragement, patience, and constant support of this research project. We are also grateful to Sharon Patris for initiating the project, and to Eric Camire and Laura Graziano for assisting.