Bioremediation approach using charophytes—preliminary laboratory and field studies of mine drainage water from the Mansfeld Region, Germany

Mine drainage water from the Schlenze stream, Mansfeld Region, Central Germany, which have shown an increase in heavy metal concentrations of Cd 2+ , Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ , and Zn 2+ , was used to investigate the bioremediation potential of charophytes. The removal of heavy metals by Chara subspinosa from the water was tested in single- and multi-metal additions. The uptake capacity of C. subspinosa decreased during the course of the experiment and was higher in single-metal addition than in multi-metal addition of Pb 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Cd 2+ . Accumulation of heavy metals in the carbonate encrustation of charophytes was far lower than those to which they were exposed. Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn co-precipitated more in the encrustation of C. subspinosa exposed to single-metal approach than to multi-metal approach. The carbonate composition of charophytes was influenced by the water chemistry. Content of Na in the carbonate encrustation correlated with the Na + concentration of the respective water. The toxic effect of heavy metals on photosynthesis was species-specific. Electron transport rates (ETR max ) were higher in Chara tomentosa than in C. subspinosa . Charophytes withstand the heavy metal concentrations when diluted with river water from the Altarm cut-off lake and can therefore be used for the bioremediation of diluted mine drainage waters by co-precipitating Cd, Cu, and Zn.