Role of Phragmites Australis for Biomonitoring and Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals Pollution in Badavar River, Lorestan Province (Iran)

Background & Aims of the Study: Aquatic macrophytes, given their rapid growth and high bio mass production, great potential to accumulate heavy metals in their organs. Phragmites australis as a hyper-cumulative plant plays an important role in the bioremediation. The Badavar River of Noorabad, Lorestan province, is exposed to urban wastewater and agricultural runoffs. In order to heavy metals (Pb, Zn and Cu) monitoring by aquatic macrophyte Phragmites australis, the concentration of these metals were investigated in this plant and river sediments in 2016. Materials & Methods: The concentration of the metals after acid digestion was measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The contamination factor was used to study the sediments pollution. Results: Comparison of metal concentrations with American and Canadian standards does not indicate the critical status of sediment contamination. The accumulation of metals in Phragmites australis plants showed a decreasing trend in root, leaf and stem respectively. On the other hand, the higher the transfer factor from the numerical value of one for zinc and copper metals indicates the high ability of these metals to be transferred to the plant. Conclusions: Finally, it can be noted that the shoots and roots of the plant in relation to the metals studied as an hyper accumulative organs and since there is a positive and significant relationship between the concentration of copper in sediment and root, it is likely that the roots organ of the plant is an appropriate bio indicator for its contamination in the sediments of the area.