The Phytoremediation Potential of Lemna minor L. on Heavy Metal Accumulation, Biochemical Responses, and Growth Tolerance 10.32526/ennrj/24/20250197
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Abstract
Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) is an efficient aquatic plant that accumulates heavy metals. This study aimed to investigate the ability of duckweed. To accumulate selected heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, Ba, Mn, and Co) at 5 mg/L concentrations of each metal, and to study the effects of metals on plant growth and biochemical changes in the plant. This study was conducted for 14 days to control the environmental conditions. The accumulation of metal inside the plant tissue, bioconcentration factor (BCF), and relative growth rate (RGR) were measured at the end of the experiments, while plant fresh and dry weight, total chlorophyll, and protein and proline contents were measured at the beginning and end of the experiments. The results showed that the highest metal accumulation in plant tissue and BCF were 4.112 and 0.822, respectively, in the iron treatment, while the lowest values were 2.334 and 0.466, respectively, in the Ba treatment. The highest reduction in fresh weight and growth percentage was in the Ba treatment, the highest reduction in chlorophyll content was in the Ba treatment, and the lowest protein content was in the Cu treatment. Therefore, the results indicate that Duckweed can tolerate selected heavy metals and can be used in phytoremediation technology.
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