Potential of Aquatic Macrophytes as Bioindicators of Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Stormwater Runoff

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 2012-02, Vol.223 (2), p.877-888
• Main Authors: Ladislas, Séverine, El-Mufleh, Amelène, Gérente, Claire, Chazarenc, Florent, Andrès, Yves, Béchet, Béatrice
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulations; Aquatic plants; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Bioindicators; Biological magnification; Biological monitoring; Biomonitoring; Cadmium; Callitriche; Chromium; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Detention basins; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Engineering; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Sciences; Floating plants; Flowers & plants; Heavy metal content; Heavy metals; Hydrogeology; Indicator species; Indicators (Biology); Macrophytes; Metal concentrations; Metals; Nickel; Organisms; Plant species; Plants (organisms); Pollution; Pollution control; Roads & highways; Roots; Runoff; Sediment analysis; Sediments; Sediments (Geology); Soil (material); Soil analysis; Soil pollution; Soil Science & Conservation; Storm runoff; Stormwater; Studies; Toxicity; Traffic; Typha; Urban runoff; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Zinc
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-011-0909-3

The concentrations of heavy metals in water, sediments, soil, roots, and shoots of five aquatic macrophytes species ( Oenanthe sp., Juncus sp., Typha sp., Callitriche sp.1, and Callitriche sp.2) collected from a detention pond receiving stormwater runoff coming from a highway were measured to ascertain whether plants organs are characterized by differential accumulations and to evaluate the potential of the plant species as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution in urban stormwater runoff. Heavy metals considered for water and sediment analysis were Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and As. Heavy metals considered for plant and soil analysis were Cd, Ni, and Zn. The metal concentrations in water, sediments, plants, and corresponding soil showed that the studied site is contaminated by heavy metals, probably due to the road traffic. Results also showed that plant roots had higher metal content than aboveground tissues. The floating plants displayed higher metal accumulation than the three other rooted plants. Heavy metal concentrations measured in the organs of the rooted plants increased when metal concentrations measured in the soil increased. The highest metal bioconcentration factors (BCF) were obtained for cadmium and nickel accumulation by Typha sp. (BCF = 1.3 and 0.8, respectively) and zinc accumulation by Juncus sp. (BCF = 4.8). Our results underline the potential use of such plant species for heavy metal biomonitoring in water, sediments, and soil.