Thesis Archive
Evaluation of the phytoremediation potential of Philippine Sunflower (Helianthus annuus Linn) in copper-zinc solution
BOTE, Erica Bianca D.
CELLONA, Kimberley B.
PURISIMA, Alexandra Denise C.
Abstract:
Heavy metal pollution from various sources has brought unfavorable effects to living things and to the environment. Copper and zinc, two among the commonly utilized heavy metals in the Philippines, can cause negative health and environmental effects when in excess amounts. To address this issue, techniques such as phytoremediation – the process of using plants such as sunflower to remove heavy metals from soil or water – can be utilized. The study aimed to evaluate of the phytoremediation ability of Helianthus annuus L. in varying concentrations of Cu-Zn solutions, in terms of uptake, translocation, and selectivity. Planted sunflower samples were exposed to the metals in a hydroponic setup, uprooted every three days in a span of 15 days, acid digested, then analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Results exhibit a decrease of uptake at Day 9, which may be attributed to metal toxicity in the plant, as can be observed from browning of shoots and thinning of stems and roots. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) ranged from 14.19-826.38 for Cu and 16.27-237.19 for Zn, signifying that the sunflower plants were able to effectively absorb and accumulate the metals into their system. Translocation factor (TF) values obtained were below 1.0 for all of the samples except for Setup B (30 ppm Cu) and Setup D (15 ppm Cu, 30 ppm Zn) both at Day 15, indicating that most of the metal ions absorbed by the plants were accumulated in the roots rather than in the shoots. TF values were found to be higher for Zn than for Cu. Lastly, a synergistic relationship between Cu and Zn was observed using the sunflower species; since Zn was observed to promote Cu uptake, Cu selectivity is said to be greater than Zn.
Adviser:
BELO, Lawrence P.
MALABED, Raymond S.