PHYTOREMEDIATION PERFORMANCE OF SYNGONIUM SP. FOR SELECTED HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATED WATER BY HYDROPONIC METHODAbhijeet A. Salve and Umesh B. KakdeAbstract Many industrial activities have contributed in heavy metal accumulation in water bodies. These metals are considered as major pollutant of water ecosystem due to its toxic nature which can lead to environmental problems. In the aquatic ecosystem heavy metals are absorbed, deposited and accumulated in plant and animal bodies and subsequently infect the ecological food chains and leads to biomagnification. There is a need for a reliable and cost-effective method of cleaning the water environment. Phytoremediation is referring to the use of plants and microbes to reduce the concentrations of heavy metals or toxic contaminants. Contaminants such as metals, pesticides etc. have been mitigated in plant parts as many plants having hyperaccumulating capacities. In the present investigation Syngonium (ornamental plant) was used as a phytoremediation agent using hydroponic system. Syngonium shows 100% survival rate in each treatment at a different concentration (10 to 100 ppm) and shows no adverse symptoms during growth. After thirty days of treatment, it is observed that, copper was removed most often (96%) followed by mercury (60%) and cobalt (36%), while manganese was the least frequently removed (14%). In 100 ppm treatment the root of Syngonium showed the highest absorption rate of Hg (96.3%). In 50 ppm treatment with Mn the highest Mn accumulation (75.2%) was registered in the root. While, in 100 ppm treatment only 8.9% of Co has been accumulated in the roots. The higher concentration of Cu (28.4%) was found in leaves treated with 100 ppm, while lowest concentration of Hg (1.5%) registered in the leaves. |