Common hydrophytes as bioindicators of nickel, chromium and cadmium pollution

摘要: Twelve Mediterranean hydrophyte species collected inLebanon were evaluated for their potential asbioindicator heavy metal pollution innutrient cultures enriched with 1 ppm Cr, Ni and Cd.These were: Nasturtium officinale R.Br, Apium nodiflorum L., Veronica beccabunga anagallis aquatica Veronicalysimachioides anagalloides Mentha longifolia pulegium Potentilla reptansL., sylvestris Cardamine uliginosa L.. Large variability in responseto exposure to the metals was observed. Growthrates remained high during experimental period,indicating that plants little affected by thepresence of at experimentalconcentration. Metal accumulation bioconcentrationvaried within least one order magnitude, andranged from less than 10 over 200. Cr waspreferentially accumulated roots. All speciesbut M. pulegium, P. reptans V. anagallisaquatica bioconcentrated sufficientCr qualify as bioindicator species. Five thespecies also Ni, withthe same partitioning into root. These N. officinale, C. sp., longifolia, sylvestris, all which mayalso be used bioindicators pollution. Onlyone species, aquatica, Cdsignificantly, may, therefore, abioindicator three metals.