Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals by Typha angustifolia in Hokersar Wetland of Kashmir

Remediation of heavy metals by macrophytes in wetlands is gaining importance, particularly in the wetlands and game reserves of international importance. Hokersar wetland, a Ramsar site, is a game reserve of international importance and is facing anthropogenic disturbances over the years. Keeping in view deleterious effect of heavy metals on all the facets of contaminated ecosystems need for removal of these contaminants has received lot of attention in the recent past. It is in this backdrop, heavy metal sequestration by Typha angustata, one of the common and abundant species growing in the wetland, was explored. The study was aimed to assess sequestration of heavy metals, such as Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn by T. angustata in the Hokersar wetland. The EF for all the investigated heavy metals was greater than one and TF of T. angustata was greater than one for Zn, Cr and Pb thereby making the species a hyper-accumulator for these elements. In conclusion, it can be stated that T. angustata, being a hyperaccumulator of Zn, Cr and Pb and accumulator for Fe, Mn, Al, Co, Cu, Ni and Cd can be exploited for heavy metal sequestration in the wetland system.