Exploring the phytoremediation potential of water hyacinth by FTIR Spectroscopy and ICP-OES for treatment of heavy metal contaminated water

Toxic heavy metal pollution of water is a major environmental problem and the current remediation approaches are not optimal as they are non-eco-friendly and lacking in efficiency. As such phytoremediation, a green remediation technology is recognized as a better approach. In this study, both Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and Inductive Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) were used to investigate the capability of an aquatic plant, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) to remove heavy metals of lead, copper, cadmium and arsenic from aqueous solution at concentrations of 2 mg/L and 8 mg/L. Overall, the results showed that the uptake was rapid with the plants removing >80% of all the heavy metals at both concentrations. This uptake was proven by the detection of metal accumulation in plant tissues. Roots proved to be better accumulator than leaves. Maximum bioconcentration factor values indicating that the plant is a hyperaccumulator for lead and a moderate accumulator for the other heavy metals. Ligands such as O-H, C-O, C-C and C-H were found to aid the plant in accumulating heavy metal in its tissues. This study concludes that water hyacinth can be utilized as a phytoremediation agent to clean up heavy metal polluted water.