Eficiencia fitorremediadora de vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty) en agua contaminada con arsénico y plomo

Abstract

In recent years, phytoremediation has become an emerging technology due to its low cost and sustainability. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the phytoremediation capacity of vetiver in water contaminated with arsenic (5 mg L–1) and lead (10 mg L–1). For this, drinking water was used as a matrix since it represents a special vulnerability and risk of being contaminated by these compounds in some localities in the extreme north of Chile, especially rural ones. The water from the treatments with and without vetiver was evaluated at 0, 5, 10 and 15 days after starting the experimentation, while the concentrations of arsenic and lead in the plant tissue (root and aerial part) were carried out on day 0 and 15. The results indicated that vetiver roots accumulated the highest concentration of both elements in relation to the aerial part, 5% more As and 10% more Pb. The translocation factor less than 1 demonstrated the phytostabilizing capacity of vetiver while the bioaccumulation factor greater than 1 demonstrated its potential as an accumulator. The remediation efficiency of the contaminated matrix reached 100% for Pb and 99.1% for As. This allows us to conclude that vetiver is a highly efficient plant for the decontamination of water contaminated with As and Pb under the natural conditions of this area.