Research Article

Removal of Heavy Metals through Environmental Purification Methods

Abstract

The current study involved treating two types of aquatic plants, Phragmites (common reed) and Lemna minor (duckweed), with heavy metal elements—lead and cadmium—at concentrations of 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/L for two weeks to evaluate their bioaccumulation potential. The results showed that Lemna minor accumulated lead more efficiently, with a concentration of 1.724 μg/g of its dry weight, whereas, at a 2 mg/L treatment, Phragmites accumulated lead at 1.579 μg/g of its dry weight. In contrast, cadmium accumulation was higher in Phragmites, recording 1.08 μg/g of its dry weight, compared to Lemna minor, which accumulated 0.63 μg/g of its dry weight under the same treatment conditions. A significant variation in metal concentrations was observed across different treatments. As the treatment concentrations increased, the accumulation of both metals in the two plant species showed a gradual increase.