Bioaccumulation and translocation of metals in the natural vegetation growing on fly ash lagoons: a field study from Santaldih thermal power plant, West Bengal, India

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2008-01, Vol.136 (1-3), p.355-370
• Main Authors: Maiti, Subodh Kumar, Jaiswal, Shishir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amaranthus; Animals; Applied sciences; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of sewage sludges and wastes; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Cadmium; Carbon - chemistry; Coal Ash; Coal-fired power plants; Contamination; Copper; Cynodon dactylon; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environment and pollution; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Field study; Fimbristylis dichotoma; Fly ash; Fly ash lagoons; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grasses; Heavy metals; Humans; India; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Industrial Waste; Lagoons; Lead; Metal concentrations; Metals; Metals - chemistry; Metals - metabolism; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Natural vegetation; Other wastes and particular components of wastes; Particulate Matter - chemistry; Plants - anatomy & histology; Plants - chemistry; Plants - metabolism; Pollution; Power Plants; Saccharum; Studies; Thermal power; Thermal power plants; Trace elements; Translocation; Typha latifolia; Vegetation; Wastes; Wind power; Zinc
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-007-9691-5

A field study was conducted in the fly ash lagoons of Santandih Thermal Power Plant located in West Bengal (India) to find out total, EDTA and DTPA extractable metals in fly ash and their bioaccumulation in root and shoot portion of the naturally growing vegetation. Fly ash sample has alkaline pH and low conductivity. The concentration of total Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni were found higher than weathered fly ash and natural soil, where as Co, Cd and Cr were found traces. Five dominant vegetation namely, Typha latifolia, Fimbristylis dichotoma, Amaranthus defluxes, Saccharum spontaenum and Cynodon dactylon were collected in the winter months (November-December). Bioaccumulation of metals in root and shoot portions were found varied significantly among the species, but all concentration were found within toxic limits. Correlation between total, DTPA and EDTA extractable metals viz. root and shoot metals concentration were studied. Translocation factor (TF) for Cu, Zn and Ni were found less than unity, indicates that these metals are immobilized in the root part of the plants. Metals like Mn have TF greater than unity. The study infers that natural vegetation removed Mn by phytoextraction mechanisms (TF > 1), while other metals like Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni were removed by rhizofiltration mechanisms (TF < 1). The field study revealed that T. latifolia and S. spontaenum plants could be used for bioremediation of fly ash lagoon.