Eichornia crassipes Potency as Hyperaccumulator Macrophyte in Phytoremediation of Acid Mine Drainage Containing Zn

Under present investigation, Eichornia crassipes (water hyacinth) has been tested in knowing the applicability of this macrophyte as phytoremediator of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) is utilized in analysing the accumulation of important heavy metal zinc (Zn) within plant tissues parallel with adaptive responses due to physiological and biochemical matters during exposure of actual AMD and artificial AMD having different concentrations (10, 20, and 30 mg/L of Zn) and extreme pH (3.0). There is slow-but-steady significant increase in pH along with no morphological symptoms in exposure of artificial AMD. Conversely, in 2-weeks exposure of actual AMD there is critical morphological symptoms due to its toxicity in exposure of multi-metals along with immediate increase in the first 3-days and slow decrease in 11-days after for pH value. The decreasing in Zn concentration for both actual and artificial AMD is occurred even in high level concentration. The final concentration of Zn did not meet the quality standard, so it needs to be a serial treatment with each treatment has 3-days in retention time. Overall this methodology is applicable for the removal of Zn in AMD that has single-metal or various-metals in any amounts that is negligible or under its lethal dosage.