• Dr. Smita Pathak

ABSTRACT- Heavy metal pollution in aquatic environment poses a serious problem to aquatic flora and fauna, and also severe health hazards in humans. Phytoremediation is an emerging green technology that uses green plants to remediate heavy metal contaminated sites. This technology involves efficient use of plants to remove many heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Ni etc.) from wastewater. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions, which are present together in same aquatic medium, on Relative Growth Rate of an aquatic plant, Lemna minor and to determine the accumulation potential of these metals by the plant. All the experiments were conducted in laboratory conditions. Duckweed was exposed to different concentrations of bimetal combinations ranging from 2.5ppmCu+0.5ppmHg to 10ppmCu+2.5ppmHg. Tests were run for 2 and 4 days in winter (December-January) and summer (May-June) seasons respectively. Results revealed that Hg was more toxic than Cu. The removal rate of Cu and Hg was concentration and time dependent. In summer the uptake rate of accumulation was lower than winter. However, the antagonistic interaction was also observed on the metal accumulation efficiency. The results suggest that L. minor can be effectively used as phytoremediator for waste water, polluted with more than one heavy metal at moderate concentration in winter season.

Accumulation, Heavy metal, Lemna minor, Phytoremediation, Relative Growth Rate.

"TOLERANCE AND ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS (Cu AND Hg) IN BINARY COMBINATION BY DUCKWEED LEMNA MINOR", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no.507-512, June 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907V80.pdf

"TOLERANCE AND ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS (Cu AND Hg) IN BINARY COMBINATION BY DUCKWEED LEMNA MINOR", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no. pp507-512, June 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907V80.pdf