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Title: EFFECT OF ACIDIC CONDITIONS ON CADMIUM UPTAKE BY THREE AQUATIC PLANTS

Author
item ORNES, W - SOUTHERN UTAH UNIV
item SAJWAN, K - SAVANNAH STATE UNIV, GA
item Alva, Ashok
item PARAMASIVAM, S - SAVANNAH STATE UNIV, GA

Submitted to: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2002
Publication Date: 3/1/2004
Citation: ORNES, W.H., SAJWAN, K.S., ALVA, A.K., PARAMASIVAM, S. EFFECT OF ACIDIC CONDITIONS ON CADMIUM UPTAKE BY THREE AQUATIC PLANTS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 7TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOGEOCHEMISTRY OF TRACE ELEMENTS. In press. 2004.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Acidic runoff from mining and storage of mined materials creates an undesirable environmental impact on both flora and fauna. Presence of heavy metals such as Cadmium (CD) creates an additional negative factor in acidic environments. Accumulation of Cd in plant tissues of aquatic vascular plants in Cd contaminated water at varying pH levels was evaluated in this study. The rooted macrophyte Juncus effuses were grown for 5 weeks in sand culture saturated with deionized water and modified 0.10 M Hoagland solution. The floating aquatic fern Salvinia rotundifolia and a floating aquatic plant Wolffia papulifera were grown in 0.10 M Hoagland solution for 4 weeks and 1 week, respectively. The pH levels evaluated included 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, and 7.0 and supplied with 1 mg/kg cadmium as CdSO4. Cadmium concentrations in Juncus effuses were negatively correlated with increasing pH levels (r2=0.99). The greatest concentration of 34.4 mg/kg Cd occurred in Juncus plants when exposed to a solution of Ph 3.5 for 5 weeks. The lowest concentration was 11.5 mg/kg Cd in a solution pH of 7.0. In contrast, Cd accumulation in Salvinia and Wolffia was greater in higher pH as compared to that in the lower pH solution. The results of this study indicated that aquatic vascular plants Juncus, Salvinia, and Wolffia, can be successfully used for Cd removal from acid mine drainage areas.