A microcosm investigation of fe (iron) removal using macrophytes of ramsar lake: A phytoremediation approach

ABSTRACT

The present study deals with the microcosm study of Fe (Iron) phytoremediation using Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor, Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia cucullata species collected from the Loktak Lake, a Ramsar Site which exists in north-eastern India (an Indo-Burma hotspot region). Efficiency of these four macrophytes was compared using different Fe concentrations of 1 mg L⁻¹, 3 mg L⁻¹ and 5 mg L⁻¹ for 4 days, 8 days and 12 days, respectively. E. crassipes was the most efficient macrophyte whereas L. minor was the least efficient. E. crassipes removed the highest percentage of Fe, i.e. 89% from 1 mg L⁻¹, 81.3% from 3 mg L⁻¹ and 73.2% from 5 mg L⁻¹ in 12-day experiment.

KEYWORDS:

• Wetland
• Loktak Lake
• phytoremediation
• microcosm

Funding

Dr. Prabhat Kumar Rai is thankful to Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, India for financial support through project 19/102/RE/2015. The authors are thankful to the Central Instrumentation Laboratory, Mizoram University, for extending instrument facilities. Also, the first author would like to acknowledge the UGC (Uiversity Grants Commission), New Delhi for providing financial support in the form of the Rajiv Gandhi National fellowship for SC (Scheduled Caste).