Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on Mercury
Remediation of heavy metals is a complex, difficult, and expensive exercise and commonly involves relocation of the problem from one place to another (e.g., a contaminated site to a hazardous waste landfill). Alternatively, bioremediation can be used so that metals can be sequestered into the woody...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-10-01
|
| Series: | Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/20/3628 |
| _version_ | 1797572024913100800 |
|---|---|
| author | Ryan Greenplate Serge Thomas Ashley Danley-Thomson Thomas M. Missimer |
| author_facet | Ryan Greenplate Serge Thomas Ashley Danley-Thomson Thomas M. Missimer |
| author_sort | Ryan Greenplate |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Remediation of heavy metals is a complex, difficult, and expensive exercise and commonly involves relocation of the problem from one place to another (e.g., a contaminated site to a hazardous waste landfill). Alternatively, bioremediation can be used so that metals can be sequestered into the woody portion of the plant, where they are fixed into the organic matter and remain undisturbed for extended periods (e.g., wetland area soils). A species of willow (<i>Salix caroliniana</i>) was investigated to ascertain its potential for use in the bioremediation of mercury. It was found that the plant did bioaccumulate mercury and did so especially in the wood compared to its leaves (8.8 to 1 ratio in the mercury activity; activity of 12,071 to 1164). While there is moderate potential for use in bioremediation, the measured concentration in the wood was quite low (average of 11.91 ppb). The low concentration was caused by the location of the sampled trees in environments that were either pristine or had low soil concentrations of mercury. Furthermore, 90% of the mercury accumulated in the leaves appeared to be adsorbed via atmospheric deposition in southwest Florida where there are minimal sources of anthropogenic mercury, but the region is impacted by Saharan dust, which does contain mercury. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:48:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-56cba87ed83948969082555a81ff89b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:48:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-56cba87ed83948969082555a81ff89b52023-11-19T18:30:30ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412023-10-011520362810.3390/w15203628Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on MercuryRyan Greenplate0Serge Thomas1Ashley Danley-Thomson2Thomas M. Missimer3U. A. Whitaker College of Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10561 FGCU Boulevard South, Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565, USADepartment of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10561 FGCU Boulevard South, Fort Myers, FL 3956-6565, USAU. A. Whitaker College of Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10561 FGCU Boulevard South, Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565, USAU. A. Whitaker College of Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10561 FGCU Boulevard South, Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565, USARemediation of heavy metals is a complex, difficult, and expensive exercise and commonly involves relocation of the problem from one place to another (e.g., a contaminated site to a hazardous waste landfill). Alternatively, bioremediation can be used so that metals can be sequestered into the woody portion of the plant, where they are fixed into the organic matter and remain undisturbed for extended periods (e.g., wetland area soils). A species of willow (<i>Salix caroliniana</i>) was investigated to ascertain its potential for use in the bioremediation of mercury. It was found that the plant did bioaccumulate mercury and did so especially in the wood compared to its leaves (8.8 to 1 ratio in the mercury activity; activity of 12,071 to 1164). While there is moderate potential for use in bioremediation, the measured concentration in the wood was quite low (average of 11.91 ppb). The low concentration was caused by the location of the sampled trees in environments that were either pristine or had low soil concentrations of mercury. Furthermore, 90% of the mercury accumulated in the leaves appeared to be adsorbed via atmospheric deposition in southwest Florida where there are minimal sources of anthropogenic mercury, but the region is impacted by Saharan dust, which does contain mercury.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/20/3628phytoremediationwillow tree (<i>Salix caroliniana</i>)heavy metals contaminationmercury |
| spellingShingle | Ryan Greenplate Serge Thomas Ashley Danley-Thomson Thomas M. Missimer Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on Mercury Water phytoremediation willow tree (<i>Salix caroliniana</i>) heavy metals contamination mercury |
| title | Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on Mercury |
| title_full | Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on Mercury |
| title_fullStr | Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on Mercury |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on Mercury |
| title_short | Phytoremediation Potential of the Coastal Plain Willow <i>Salix caroliniana</i> for Heavy Metals with Emphasis on Mercury |
| title_sort | phytoremediation potential of the coastal plain willow i salix caroliniana i for heavy metals with emphasis on mercury |
| topic | phytoremediation willow tree (<i>Salix caroliniana</i>) heavy metals contamination mercury |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/20/3628 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ryangreenplate phytoremediationpotentialofthecoastalplainwillowisalixcarolinianaiforheavymetalswithemphasisonmercury AT sergethomas phytoremediationpotentialofthecoastalplainwillowisalixcarolinianaiforheavymetalswithemphasisonmercury AT ashleydanleythomson phytoremediationpotentialofthecoastalplainwillowisalixcarolinianaiforheavymetalswithemphasisonmercury AT thomasmmissimer phytoremediationpotentialofthecoastalplainwillowisalixcarolinianaiforheavymetalswithemphasisonmercury |