Clean-up of bodies of water contaminated by heavy metals using dead and live hyperaccumulators (flowering plants and algae)

Abstract

The pervasive issue of water contamination by heavy metals poses significant environmental and public health challenges, requiring innovative and effective remediation strategies. This study aims to compare the use of dead and live hyperaccumulators that could be implemented as an environmentally friendly, practical and economical-ly viable method for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated bodies of water; in order to do so, Helian-thus annuus, Cynodon dactylon, Jacaranda mimosifolia (dead) and Spirulina sp. (alive) were selected and employed due to their phytoremediation properties. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn levels in the water samples, further demonstrating the potentials of kinds of hyperaccumulators as a sustai-nable solution for cleaning heavy metal contaminated bodies of water.

Keywords

• hyperaccumulators
• heavy metals
• absorption
• dead
• live
• water