Capacity of Schoenoplectus californicus to Remove and Tolerate Copper, Lead, and Zinc in Constructed Wetland Systems Using Simulated Wastewater
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 10
Abstract
The development of industry has caused metal pollution of aquatic ecosystems and water deterioration worldwide. Therefore, environmentally friendly strategies for industrial wastewater treatment are needed. In this study, constructed wetlands (CWs) were planted with Schoenoplectus californicus in a culture medium with different concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn. The aims of this work were to evaluate the ability of S. californicus to accumulate Cu, Pb, and Zn and its physiological response to metal exposure, and assess the wastewater treatment performance of the CW systems. The accumulation of Cu, Pb, and Zn in the shoot and root of the emergent aquatic plant depended on the metal concentration during the 28 days of exposure, except for Pb in shoots. The bioconcentration factors of Cu () and Zn () were highest in the treatment with moderate levels of metals (T-2), whereas for Pb (), the maximum bioconcentration factor was recorded in the treatment with the highest metal levels (T-3). Metal translocation from root to shoot reached values greater than 1 for Cu, but were lower for Pb and Zn because accumulation occurred predominantly in the root. In general, the removal efficiency of the CW systems was higher than 90% for Pb and Zn, and higher than 80% for Cu. Furthermore, Cu, Pb, and Zn bioaccumulation in S. californicus did not reflect toxicological damage to physiological parameters, such as the formation of products of lipid membrane peroxidation. The results showed that the exposure to relatively high metal concentrations in the CWs did not affect the survival of the species. Considering the capacity of S. californicus to tolerate and accumulate Pb, Zn, and Cu, this species can be used as a phytoextractor in wastewater treatment in CW systems.
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Data Availability Statement
Data are available upon request from the corresponding author.
Acknowledgments
This work was partially supported by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT PICT-2014-3474). The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of the IMBIV of the Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científica y Técnicas (CONICET), and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) for supporting the facilities used in this investigation. The authors thank Jorgelina Brasca (certified English translator) for language revision.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 10 • October 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 3, 2023
Accepted: Jun 13, 2023
Published online: Aug 11, 2023
Published in print: Oct 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Jan 11, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Aquatic habitats
- Chemical compounds
- Chemical elements
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Copper (chemical)
- Ecosystems
- Environmental engineering
- Heavy metals
- Industrial wastes
- Pollutants
- Pollution
- River engineering
- River systems
- Solid wastes
- Vegetation
- Wastes
- Wastewater management
- Wastewater treatment
- Water and water resources
- Water pollution
- Water treatment
- Wetlands (fresh water)
- Zinc
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