Phytoremediation of Metals and Nutrients by Aquatic Macrophytes in an Urban Semiarid River (Mossoró, Brazil)
4 affiliations
- 1Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido , , Avenida Francisco Mota, 572, Costa e Silva, campus Mossoró , ,
- 2Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido , , Avenida, Francisco Mota, 572, Costa e Silva, campus Mossoró , ,
- 3Instituto Federal do Pará , , Rodovia PA 275, s/n, Bairro União, Campus Parauapebas , ,
- 4Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco , , Rodovia, PE 166, 100 , ,
Abstract
Urban expansion and riverbank anthropogenic pressures have intensified the elemental loading of urban rivers, a problem that is exacerbated in semiarid regions where low flows, long residence times, and evaporation favor solute concentration and changes in aqueous speciation. Here, we quantified nutrients and trace metals and assessed macrophyte bioaccumulation and translocation in the urban reach of the Apodi-Mossoró River. Water and plant tissues of Nymphaea alba and Eichhornia crassipes were collected in eight campaigns across six sites during dry and rainy seasons. The elemental suite comprised N, P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses evidenced element-specific patterns driven by spatial gradients and climatic seasonality that influence metal mobility and bioavailability. Phytoremediation performance was species dependent: Nymphaea alba displayed higher bioaccumulation and translocation for Pb (16,669.64) and Cu (9.32), whereas Eichhornia crassipes showed greater accumulation and translocation for Cr (11,291.96) and Ni (23.23). Overall, the contrasting uptake and internal partitioning of trace metals, together with seasonal variability in nutrient concentrations, support the use of Nymphaea alba and Eichhornia crassipes as complementary biomonitors and as candidate species for phytoremediation of metal and nutrient contamination in urban semiarid rivers.
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BibTeX
@article{silva2026phytoremediation,
title = {{Phytoremediation of Metals and Nutrients by Aquatic Macrophytes in an Urban Semiarid River (Mossoró, Brazil)}},
author = {Adler L. S. da Silva and Talita D. Pedrosa and Rafael R. de Melo and Solange A. G. Dombroski and Tereza A. L. C. G. Rocha and Phâmella K. P. Farias and Daniela da C. L. Coelho and Stefeson B. de Melo and Silvanete S. da Silva and Francisca G. dos S. Bezerra and Rafael O. Batista},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.5c11892},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.5c11892/5455925/Phytoremediation-of-Metals-and-Nutrients-by},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Phytoremediation of Metals and Nutrients by Aquatic Macrophytes in an Urban Semiarid River (Mossoró, Brazil)
AU - Adler L. S. da Silva
AU - Talita D. Pedrosa
AU - Rafael R. de Melo
AU - Solange A. G. Dombroski
AU - Tereza A. L. C. G. Rocha
AU - Phâmella K. P. Farias
AU - Daniela da C. L. Coelho
AU - Stefeson B. de Melo
AU - Silvanete S. da Silva
AU - Francisca G. dos S. Bezerra
AU - Rafael O. Batista
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.5c11892
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.5c11892/5455925/Phytoremediation-of-Metals-and-Nutrients-by
AB - Urban expansion and riverbank anthropogenic pressures have intensified the elemental loading of urban rivers, a problem that is exacerbated in semiarid regions where low flows, long residence times, and evaporation favor solute concentration and changes in aqueous speciation. Here, we quantified nutrients and trace metals and assessed macrophyte bioaccumulation and translocation in the urban reach of the Apodi-Mossoró River. Water and plant tissues of Nymphaea alba and Eichhornia crassipes were collected in eight campaigns across six sites during dry and rainy seasons. The elemental suite comprised N, P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses evidenced element-specific patterns driven by spatial gradients and climatic seasonality that influence metal mobility and bioavailability. Phytoremediation performance was species dependent: Nymphaea alba displayed higher bioaccumulation and translocation for Pb (16,669.64) and Cu (9.32), whereas Eichhornia crassipes showed greater accumulation and translocation for Cr (11,291.96) and Ni (23.23). Overall, the contrasting uptake and internal partitioning of trace metals, together with seasonal variability in nutrient concentrations, support the use of Nymphaea alba and Eichhornia crassipes as complementary biomonitors and as candidate species for phytoremediation of metal and nutrient contamination in urban semiarid rivers.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -