Abstract
Copper contamination of industrial waste streams is increasingly common with copper used in an array of industrial processes. Phytoremediation of copper-contaminated water with Pistia stratiotes presents a cost-effective, efficient and uncomplicated alternative for copper removal from industrial wastewater. This study examines the ability of Pistia stratiotes to remove copper from distilled water representing a highly nutrient-deficient medium and natural surface water containing plant nutrients inherently. Control and experimental sets were set up with growth solutions of distilled water and natural surface water spiked with 5 g/mL, 10 g/mL, 15 g/mL, 20 g/mL and 25 g/mL copper. The control sets were devoid of Pistia stratiotes while the experimental sets contained Pistia stratiotes. Copper concentration and pH of the solutions were tracked over 10 days. This study revealed the ability of Pistia stratiotes to remove copper in both types of growth solution with contamination level ranging from 5 to 25 mg/L and pointed to its ability to phytoremediate higher level of copper contamination. Pistia stratiotes also raised the pH of the growth solutions. Copper removal from both types of growth solution demonstrated a predominantly first-order elimination kinetics except for copper concentrations above 15 mg/L in distilled water where the zero-order elimination kinetics predominated. Copper removal efficiency decreased with increasing copper concentrations in both types of growth solution with removal efficiency in natural surface water growth solutions consistently higher. It highlights the ability of Pistia stratiotes to phytoremediate highly nutrient-deficient and natural surface water media.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
Not applicable.
References
Abbas, Z., Arooj, F., Ali, S., Zaheer, I. E., Rizwan, M., & Riaz, M. A. (2019). Phytoremediation of landfill leachate waste contaminants through floating bed technique using water hyacinth and water lettuce. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 21(13), 1356–1367. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2019.1633259.
Ali, S., Abbas, Z., Rizwan, M., Zaheer, I. E., Abdel-daim, M. M., Bin-jumah, M., et al. (2020). Application of floating aquatic plants in phytoremediation of heavy metals polluted water : a review. Sustainability, 12(1927), 1–33.
Alikasturi, A. S., Kamil, M. Z. A. M., Shakri, N. A. A. M., Serit, M. E., Rahim, N. S. A., Shaharuddin, S., et al. (2019). Phytoremediation of copper in mineral, distilled and surface water using Limnocharis flava plant. Materials Today: Proceedings, 19, 1489–1496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.11.173.
Allamin, I. A., Halmi, M. I. E., Yasid, N. A., Ahmad, S. A., Sheikh Abdullah, S. R., & Shukor, Y. (2020). Rhizodegradation of petroleum oily sludge-contaminated soil using Cajanus cajan increases the diversity of soil microbial community. Scientic Reports, 10, 4094. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60668-1.
Aurangzeb, N., Nisa, S., Bibi, Y., Javed, F., & Hussain, F. (2014). Phytoremediation potential of aquatic herbs from steel foundry effluent. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 31, 881–886 scielo.
Chua, J., Banua, J. M., Arcilla, I., Orbecido, A., de Castro, M. E., Ledesma, N., et al. (2019). Phytoremediation potential and copper uptake kinetics of Philippine bamboo species in copper contaminated substrate. Heliyon, 5(9), e02440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02440.
Cole, J. J., & Prairie, Y. T. (2014). Dissolved CO2 in freshwater systems. In Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.09399-4.
Conti, A. (2005). Distilled water. Water encyclopedia, pp. 441–442. https://doi.org/10.1002/047147844X.pc206.
Das, S., Goswami, S., & Talukdar, A. D. (2014). A study on cadmium phytoremediation potential of water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes L. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 92(2), 169–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1152-y.
Dhir, B., Sharmila, P., Saradhi, P. P., Sharma, S., Kumar, R., & Mehta, D. (2011). Heavy metal induced physiological alterations in Salvinia natans. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 74, 1678–1684.
Di Luca, G. A., Hadad, H. R., Mufarrege, M. M., Maine, M. A., & Sánchez, G. C. (2014). Improvement of Cr phytoremediation by Pistia stratiotes in presence of nutrients. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 16(2), 167–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2012.759535.
Ergönül, M. B., Nassouhi, D., & Atasağun, S. (2020). Modeling of the bioaccumulative efficiency of Pistia stratiotes exposed to Pb, Cd, and Pb + Cd mixtures in nutrient-poor media. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 22(2), 201–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2019.1652566.
Gabrielyan, A. V., Shahnazaryan, G. A., & Minasyan, S. H. (2018). Distribution and identification of sources of heavy metals in the Voghji River Basin impacted by mining activities (Armenia). Journal of Chemistry, 2018, 7172426. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7172426.
Galal, T. M., Eid, E. M., Dakhil, M. A., & Hassan, L. M. (2018). Bioaccumulation and rhizofiltration potential of Pistia stratiotes L. for mitigating water pollution in the Egyptian wetlands. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 20(5), 440–447. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2017.1365343.
Harvey, P. J., Handley, H. K., & Taylor, M. P. (2016). Widespread copper and lead contamination of household drinking water, New South Wales, Australia. Environmental Research, 151, 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.07.041.
Hussain, J., Husain, I., Arif, M., & Gupta, N. (2017). Studies on heavy metal contamination in Godavari river basin. Applied Water Science, 7(8), 4539–4548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-017-0607-4.
Hutchison, C. S. (2005). Geology of north-West Borneo: Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Kumar, V., Singh, J., Saini, A., & Kumar, P. (2019). Phytoremediation of copper, iron and mercury from aqueous solution by water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.). Environmental Sustainability, 2(1), 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-019-00050-8.
Kuriata-potasznik, A., Szymczyk, S., & Skwierawski, A. (2016). Heavy metal contamination in the surface layer of bottom sediments in a flow-through lake : a case study of Lake Symsar in Northern Poland. Water, 8(358). https://doi.org/10.3390/w8080358.
Lu, Q., He, Z. L., Graetz, D. A., Stoffella, P. J., & Yang, X. (2011). Uptake and distribution of metals by water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 18(6), 978–986. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0453-0.
Lu, D., Huang, Q., Deng, C., & Zheng, Y. (2018). Phytoremediation of copper pollution by eight aquatic plants. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 27(1), 175–181. https://doi.org/10.15244/pjoes/73990.
Masindi, V. (2016). A novel technology for neutralizing acidity and attenuating toxic chemical species from acid mine drainage using cryptocrystalline magnesite tailings. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 10, 67–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2016.02.002.
Merck. (2018). Safety Data Sheet for Copper(II) nitrate trihydrate 102753. Retrieved May 30, 2020, from https://www.merckmillipore.com/MY/en/product/msds/MDA_CHEM-102753?Origin=PDP.
Nleya, Y., Simate, G. S., & Ndlovu, S. (2016). Sustainability assessment of the recovery and utilisation of acid from acid mine drainage. Journal of Cleaner Production, 113, 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.11.005.
Norušis, M. J. (2006). SPSS 14.0 guide to data analysis. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Novita, V., Moersidik, S., & Priadi, C. (2019). Phytoremediation potential of Pistia stratiotes to reduce high concentration of copper (Cu) in acid mine drainage. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 355, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/355/1/012063.
Okkenhaug, G., Smebye, A. B., Pabst, T., Amundsen, C. E., Sævarsson, H., & Breedveld, G. D. (2018). Shooting range contamination: mobility and transport of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and antimony (Sb) in contaminated peatland. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 18(11), 3310–3323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1739-8.
Park, S.-M., Shin, S.-Y., Yang, J.-S., Ji, S.-W., & Baek, K. (2015). Selective recovery of dissolved metals from mine drainage using electrochemical reactions. Electrochimica Acta, 181, 248–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2015.03.085.
Prasertsup, P., & Ariyakanon, N. (2011). Removal of chlorpyrifos by water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) and duckweed (Lemna minor L.). International Journal of Phytoremediation, 13(4), 383–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2010.495145.
Putra, R. S., Cahyana, F., & Novarita, D. (2015). Removal of lead and copper from contaminated water using EAPR system and uptake by water lettuce ( Pistia stratiotes L .). Procedia Chemistry, 14(December), 381–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proche.2015.03.052.
Rodríguez, C., Leiva-aravena, E., Serrano, J., & Leiva, E. (2018). Occurrence and removal of copper and aluminum in a stream confluence affected by acid mine drainage. Water, 10(516), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10040516.
Schiff, K., Brown, J., Diehl, D., & Greenstein, D. (2007). Extent and magnitude of copper contamination in marinas of the San Diego region, California, USA. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54(3), 322–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.10.013.
Silva, R. M. P., Manso, J. P. H., Rodrigues, J. R. C., & Lagoa, R. J. L. (2008). A comparative study of alginate beads and an ion-exchange resin for the removal of heavy metals from a metal plating effluent. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 43(11), 1311–1317. https://doi.org/10.1080/10934520802177953.
Stern, B. R. (2010). Essentiality and toxicity in copper health risk assessment: Overview, update and regulatory considerations. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 73(2–3), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287390903337100.
Suman, J., Uhlik, O., Viktorova, J., & Macek, T. (2018). Phytoextraction of heavy metals: a promising tool for clean-up of polluted environment? Frontiers in Plant Science, 9, 1476.
Swain, G., Adhikari, S., & Mohanty, P. (2014). Phytoremediation of copper and cadmium from water using water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes. International Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 2(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.14355/ijast.2014.0301.01.
Tabinda, A. B., Irfan, R., Yasar, A., Iqbal, A., & Mahmood, A. (2020). Phytoremediation potential of Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes to remove chromium and copper. Environmental Technology, 41(12), 1514–1519. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2018.1540662.
Tang, K. H. D. (2019). Phytoremediation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons: a review of recent literature. Global Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1(December), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.36811/gjcee.2019.110006.
Tang, K. H. D., & Angela, J. (2019). Phytoremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil with local plant species. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 495, 12054. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/495/1/012054.
Tang, K. H. D., & Law, Y. W. E. (2019). Phytoremediation of soil contaminated with crude oil using Mucuna Bracteata. Research in Ecology, 1(1), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v1i1.739.
Tang, D. K. H., Md Dawal, S. Z., & Olugu, E. U. (2018). Actual safety performance of the Malaysian offshore oil platforms: correlations between the leading and lagging indicators. Journal of Safety Research, 66, 9–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2018.05.003.
Tchounwou, P. B., Yedjou, C. G., Patlolla, A. K., & Sutton, D. J. (2012). Heavy metals toxicity and the environment. Experientia. Supplementum, 101, 133–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8340-4.
Tiwari, M. K., Bajpai, S., Dewangan, U. K., & Tamrakar, R. K. (2015). Assessment of heavy metal concentrations in surface water sources in an industrial region of central India. Karbala International Journal of Modern Science, 1(1), 9–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kijoms.2015.08.001.
Varma, V. G., & Misra, A. K. (2018). Copper contaminated wastewater – an evaluation of bioremedial options. Indoor and Built Environment, 27(1), 84–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X16669397.
Varol, M., & Şen, B. (2012). Assessment of nutrient and heavy metal contamination in surface water and sediments of the upper Tigris River, Turkey. CATENA, 92, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2011.11.011.
Wang, L., Liu, Q., Hu, C., Liang, R., Qiu, J., & Wang, Y. (2018). Phosphorus release during decomposition of the submerged macrophyte Potamogeton crispus. Limnology, 19(3), 355–366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-018-0538-2.
Withanachchi, S. S., Ghambashidze, G., Kunchulia, I., Urushadze, T., & Ploeger, A. (2018). Water quality in surface water: a preliminary assessment of heavy metal contamination of the Mashavera River, Georgia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(4), 621. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040621.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest/Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Code Availability
Not applicable.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tang, K.H.D., Awa, S.H. & Hadibarata, T. Phytoremediation of Copper-Contaminated Water with Pistia stratiotes in Surface and Distilled Water. Water Air Soil Pollut 231, 573 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04937-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04937-9