The search for low cost adsorbents that have metal-binding capacities has intensified in the last decades. Some natural aquatic macrophytes have been studied as adsorbents to remove heavy metals. Macrophytes ease to propagate converts them into plague for many ecosystems while they are also considered by some activities as a residue; therefore its resignification implies positive environmental effects. Whereas these macrophytes can be obtained from water bodies where they develop naturally, controlled production in greenhouses may be more appropriate for its use as filling in fixed-bed reactors that must operate continuously throughout the year. This work focused on obtaining the macrophytes growth parameters in order to calculate the most proper greenhouse containers dimensions and their required cultivation periods to be employed in a determined fixed-bed reactor with a certain effluent flow to filter. These parameters include: the biomass yield, the area required to obtain certain dry weight of a given biosorbent, and the relative growth and propagation rates. Selected macrophytes species were Azolla pinnata, Salvinia molesta, Limnobium leavigatum, Lemna minor and Pistia stratiotes. The characterization of each biomass and the study of their performance as biosorbents were conducted for the removal of Cu (II), Pb (II) and Cr (VI) ions from aqueous solutions, always procuring the WHO guidelines for drinking water. Azolla pinnata resulted in the species with the highest percentage of dry weight (6.56%), and the lowest values of relative growth and propagation rates. This species was as well the most efficient in removal of Cu and Pb (96.7% and 99.4%, respectively), while Pistia stratiotes was better adsorbent for Cr with a removal of 58.8%. The possibility of metal recovery and macrophyte biomasses reuse was also proven. Given their natural abundance, elemental growth conditions and propagation rates, macrophytes represent a low cost alternative to the most efficient commercial adsorbents.

在过去的几十年中，对具有金属结合能力的低成本吸附剂的研究日益激烈。已经研究了一些天然水生植物作为吸附剂以去除重金属。大型植物易于繁殖，将它们转化为许多生态系统的瘟疫，而某些活动也将其视为残留物；因此，它的表述意味着对环境的积极影响。这些大型植物可以从自然生长的水体中获得，但温室中受控生产可能更适合用作固定床反应器中的填充物，而固定床反应器一年四季都必须连续运行。这项工作着重于获取大型植物的生长参数，以便计算出最合适的温室容器尺寸及其所需的培养时间，以便在确定的固定床反应器中采用一定的废水流进行过滤。这些参数包括：生物质产量，获得给定生物吸附剂的一定干重所需的面积以及相对生长和繁殖速率。选定的大型植物物种是满江红，鼠尾草，Limnobium leavigatum，小Lemna和水浮萍地层。进行了每种生物质的表征及其作为生物吸附剂的性能研究，以从水溶液中去除Cu（II），Pb（II）和Cr（VI）离子，始终遵循WHO的饮用水准则。满江红导致该物种的干重百分比最高（6.56％），相对生长和繁殖速率的值最低。该物种也是去除铜和铅最有效的物种（分别为96.7％和99.4％），而水浮萍纹状体Cr的吸附剂更好，去除了58.8％。还证明了金属回收和大型植物生物质再利用的可能性。鉴于其自然丰度，元素生长条件和繁殖速率，大型植物代表了最有效的商业吸附剂的低成本替代品。