Arsenic uptake by common marsh fern Thelypteris palustris and its potential for phytoremediation

Hydroponic and soil cultivations of Thelypteris palustris, the common marsh fern, were used to investigate its potential for use in phytoremediation of arsenic (As) contaminated water or soil. ICP-MS analyses indicate that both roots and fronds accumulated arsenic in levels up to 100 times the concentration of treatment solutions of 250 mu g/L and 500 mu g/L arsenic, but values varied widely and there was no significant difference in concentrations in fronds between the control (no arsenic) and treatments. Plants exposed to 500 mu g/L exhibited necrosis in their fronds, suggesting that Thelypteris palustris is not a good candidate for phyotoremediation of arsenic-contaminated sites. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.