Impact of organic pollutants on metal and As uptake by helophyte species and consequences for constructed wetlands design and management.

Various industrial processes and anthropogenic activities in urban areas induce a release of metals, metalloids and organic pollutants. Phytoremediation of co-contaminated waters in constructed wetlands is a promising solution for reducing the impact on natural environments. In order to improve the design and management of constructed wetlands, more knowledge is needed concerning the effect of organic pollutants on plant metal and metalloid uptake. In this study, the effects of a mixture of organic pollutants commonly found in industrial effluents (hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, anionic detergent) on the uptake of ten metals and metalloids (MM), i.e. Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, by five helophytes having a wide European distribution were studied. Main effects of plant species and pollutant conditions on metal uptake and interactions between factors were determined by a statistical treatment of a microcosm experiment. Overall, the order of element uptake in plants was Fe > Al > Mn > Cr, Ni, Zn, > Cu > As, Cd, Pb, which was consistent with relative concentrations in the rhizosphere environment of microcosms. Larger amounts of metals were retained in belowground biomass of plants than in aboveground parts. Statistical analysis showed that organic pollutants enhanced the accumulation of Mn in whole plants and the retention of Fe in belowground parts, while they reduced the accumulation of Cd, Ni, and Zn in whole plants and the retention of Cu in belowground parts. For the other MM (Al, As, Cr, Pb), effects were variable, depending on the plant species. Among the five plants tested, Carex cuprina generally removed the highest quantities of MM, which was the result of both a high metal accumulation capacity and high biomass production. Nevertheless, no significant proportion of the MM total loading could be removed in plants' aboveground parts.

Selection of wild macrophytes for use in constructed wetlands for phytoremediation of contaminant mixtures.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) offer an alternative to traditional industrial wastewater treatment systems that has been proved to be efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Most of the time, CWs are planted with proliferative species such as Phragmites australis or with plants originating from nurseries, both representing a risk for the natural biodiversity conservation of aquatic ecosystems located downstream of the CWs. For the removal of metals and organic pollutant mixtures present in industrial effluents, it is necessary to select tolerant plant species that are able to produce a high aboveground biomass and to develop a healthy belowground system. Wild plant species growing in aquatic bodies at industrial outfalls could constitute suitable tolerant species to use in CWs for industrial effluent treatment. To test this hypothesis, we assessed, under laboratory conditions (using an experimental design), the tolerance to mixtures of metals (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) or/and organic pollutants (THC, PHE, PYR, LAS) of five European sub-cosmopolitan native macrophytes (Alisma lanceolatum, Carex cuprina, Epilobium hirsutum, Iris pseudacorus and Juncus inflexus) that had been collected in a polluted Mediterranean wetland, after a field study (crossing ecological relevés and analyses of contaminant concentrations in water and sediments). Our results demonstrated that research on phytoremediation of industrial effluents should focus much more on the use of native macrophytes growing at short distances from industrial discharges (such as C. cuprina in this study), and that root/shoot ratio, aerial height and proportion of green leaves are good and cost-effective indicators of plant tolerance to metals and organic pollutant mixtures in laboratory studies.

Constructed wetlands to reduce metal pollution from industrial catchments in aquatic Mediterranean ecosystems: a review to overcome obstacles and suggest potential solutions.

In the Mediterranean area, surface waters often have low discharge or renewal rates, hence metal contamination from industrialised catchments can have a high negative impact on the physico-chemical and biological water quality. In a context of climate and anthropological changes, it is necessary to provide an integrative approach for the prevention and control of metal pollution, in order to limit its impact on water resources, biodiversity, trophic network and human health. For this purpose, introduction of constructed wetlands (CWs) between natural aquatic ecosystems and industrialised zones or catchments is a promising strategy for eco-remediation. Analysis of the literature has shown that further research must be done to improve CW design, selection and management of wetland plant species and catchment organisation, in order to ensure the effectiveness of CWs in Mediterranean environments. Firstly, the parameters of basin design that have the greatest influence on metal removal processes must be identified, in order to better focus rhizospheric processes on specific purification objectives. We have summarised in a single diagram the relationships between the design parameters of a CW basin and the physico-chemical and biological processes of metal removal, on the basis of 21 mutually consistent papers. Secondly, in order to optimise the selection and distribution of helophytes in CWs, it is necessary to identify criteria of choice for the plant species that will best fit the remediation objectives and environmental and economic constraints. We have analysed the factors determining plant metal uptake efficiency in CWs on the basis of a qualitative meta-analysis of 13 studies with a view to determine whether the part played by metal uptake by plants is relevant in comparison with the other removal processes. Thirdly, we analysed the parameters to consider for establishing suitable management strategies for CWs and how they affect the whole CW design process. Finally, we propose monitoring and policy measures to facilitate the integration of CWs within Mediterranean industrialised catchments.