• Asha Upadhyay
• Lalit Upadhyay
• Sandeep Gupta
• Anil Kumar Katare

The present work aims to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of aquatic macrophyte viz. Eichhornia crassipes and explores its prospects for the treatment of steel fabrication industry effluent. The experiment was designed for 30 days treatment period at interval of 10 days for three concentration of effluents i.e. 20, 40 & 60% in pot culture experiments. The efficiency of the E. crassipes as phytoremediator plant; was measured initial and post treatment of effluent in terms of physico-chemical parameters such as pH, COD, TSS, TS, TDS, BOD and heavy metals (Fe, Cu & Zn). Assessment of physico-chemical parameters of effluent showed significant decrease with time in all physico-chemical parameters and heavy metal concentration. The effect of effluent treatment on plant was observed in terms of plant dry weight, leaf number and total chlorophyll content. The 40% concentration of effluent shown best results in terms of plant growth and reduction in effluent physico- chemical parameters. Phytoremediation ability of E. crassipes for iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) was also assessed in terms of reduction of heavy metal concentration in effluent along with time. Removal of heavy metals from the effluent as a result of phytoremediation was observed maximum for Fe followed by Cu and Zn in all concentration treatments. The accumulation of heavy metals in the plant was evident in terms of bioconcentration factor values more than 5 in each case. The study thus suggested E. Crassipes might be used as effective phytoremediator plant species for removal of Fe, Cu & Zn in steel fabrication industry effluent owing to its detoxification ability and accumulation of heavy metal in environmentally friendly manner.

Phytoremediation, Steel fabrication, Heavy metal, Eichhornia crassipes

"ASSESSING EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES PHYTOREMEDIATION PROSPECTS FOR STEEL FABRICATION INDUSTRY EFFLUENT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 4, page no.923-931, April-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1804379.pdf

"ASSESSING EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES PHYTOREMEDIATION PROSPECTS FOR STEEL FABRICATION INDUSTRY EFFLUENT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 4, page no. pp923-931, April-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1804379.pdf