Mercury and arsenic accumulation by three species of aquatic plants in Dezful, Iran

Heavy metals can be absorbed by living organisms, such as aquatic plants or non-living biomass. Aquatic plants can be used for removing heavy metals and nutrients from industrial and municipal wastewaters. This paper investigates the capability of Phragmites australis, Typha latifolia and Scirpus (Bulrush) to uptake arsenic and mercury from industrial wastewater. The accumulation capacities of these aquatic plants in three treatments consisting of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg As and Hg in soil were studied under the semi-arid conditions of Dezful, Southwest Iran. Results are reported.