Phytofiltration of arsenic from simulated contaminated water using Hydrilla verticillata in field conditions

The present study investigated arsenic (As) removal efficiency of Hydrilla verticillata from simulated As-contaminated water in field conditions. Plants (100 g fresh weight) were grown in simulated contaminated water (total 8 L) containing 1500 μg L⁻¹ As in the form of arsenate (AsV)] for 45 d and As accumulation and biochemical changes were analyzed at 15 d intervals. As accumulation in plants increased progressively approaching 388 μg g⁻¹ dw at 45 d. Considering the total dry biomass, total As removed was 8546 μg (i.e. 72% of total As supplied). Despite significant As accumulation, no toxic effects were observed in terms of the level of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation, which could be attributed to the enhanced level of thiol metabolites (cysteine, glutathione) and enzymatic antioxidants (guaiacol peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase). The study demonstrates that Hydrilla plants can find application in As remediation in field conditions.