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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Phytoremediation of microplastics by water hyacinth
ClearTracing and trapping micro- and nanoplastics: Untapped mitigation potential of aquatic plants?
Researchers used fluorescently labeled polystyrene particles to trace microplastic and nanoplastic uptake in three aquatic plant species, finding that nanoplastics concentrated primarily in roots via apoplastic transport with bioconcentration factors up to 306, suggesting floating plants like water hyacinth may be useful for removing plastic from contaminated water.
Water hyacinths retain river plastics
Researchers investigated how water hyacinths, an invasive aquatic plant common in tropical rivers, interact with floating plastic debris. They found that dense water hyacinth patches efficiently trap surface plastics, potentially influencing whether plastic waste reaches the ocean. The study suggests that while water hyacinths are typically considered a nuisance species, they may play an unintended role in retaining river plastics.
Proposal of Invader Pontederia crassipes as a Savior of Micro and Macro Size Plastic Pollution
This study was the first to evaluate microplastic and macroplastic capture potential of the invasive water hyacinth, finding 3,691 particles in the roots of 12 specimens, with fragments dominating. The results suggest this widely distributed invasive plant may passively accumulate plastic particles from aquatic environments.
Plastic plants: Water hyacinths as driver of plastic transport in tropical rivers
Researchers studied how water hyacinth plants act as drivers of plastic transport in tropical freshwater rivers, finding that the floating plants aggregate and carry large quantities of plastic debris. Understanding this mechanism is important for predicting and intercepting plastic before it reaches the ocean as microplastics.
New Method of Fabricating Carbon Materials via Uptake of Nanoplastics into Eichhornia crassipes for Enhancing Supercapacitance
Researchers used water hyacinth plants that had absorbed polystyrene nanoplastics as a raw material to produce high-performance carbon electrodes for energy storage. While the study is primarily about materials engineering, it demonstrates a novel approach to removing nanoplastics from water using plants and converting the contaminated biomass into a useful product, potentially addressing two environmental problems at once.
First Evidence of Microplastic in the Roots of Eichhornia Crassipes (mart.) Solms (1883) at the Delmiro Gouveia Paulo Afonso Reservoir – Ba - Submedio São Francisco
This Brazilian study is the first to document microplastics in the roots of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in the Sao Francisco River basin, finding 211 microplastic particles in root samples across multiple collection months. Fibers were the dominant type in both plant roots and water samples, highlighting the plant's role in accumulating suspended microplastics.
A low-impact nature-based solution for reducing aquatic microplastics from freshwater ecosystems
Researchers developed a nature-based solution using the submerged plant Myriophyllum aquaticum to capture and retain microplastics from freshwater ecosystems. Through optimization experiments, they achieved high retention efficiency with minimal environmental disruption. The study demonstrates that aquatic plants can serve as a low-impact, practical tool for reducing microplastic pollution in rivers and lakes.
Phytoremediation: A promising approach to remove microplastics from the aquatic environment
This study investigated the interactions between aquatic macrophytes and microplastics as the basis for developing phytoremediation strategies, finding that certain macrophyte species can accumulate MPs from water and sediment and may be candidates for MP removal from contaminated aquatic environments.
Water hyacinth-inspired self-floating photocatalytic system for efficient and sustainable water purification
Researchers developed a floating water purification device inspired by the water hyacinth plant, combining a buoyant porous structure with a light-activated photocatalyst to break down pollutants. The device effectively degraded various contaminants including dyes, antibiotics, and microplastics using only sunlight, while remaining stable in both still and flowing water. The study demonstrates a practical, sustainable approach to water cleanup that works without chemicals or external energy sources.
A field guide for monitoring riverine macroplastic entrapment in water hyacinths
Researchers developed a field guide for monitoring how floating water hyacinths trap and transport plastic debris in rivers, providing a practical tool for studying plastic transport pathways. Water hyacinths may act as important accumulators of plastic litter that would otherwise reach the ocean as microplastics.
A Field Guide for Monitoring Riverine Macroplastic Entrapment in Water Hyacinths
Researchers developed a field guide for monitoring macroplastic entrapment in water hyacinths in rivers, providing standardized methods to quantify how floating aquatic vegetation aggregates and transports plastic debris — an understudied pathway in river plastic budgets.
Aquatic Plants in phytoremediation of contaminated water: Recent knowledge and future prospects
This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews phytoremediation — the use of aquatic plants to remove heavy metals from contaminated water — covering sources of heavy metal pollution, remediation techniques, and factors affecting plant uptake efficiency.
The effects of polypropylene microplastics on the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from water by Acorus calamus, Iris tectorum and functional microorganisms
Researchers investigated how polypropylene microplastics affect the ability of aquatic plants and their associated microorganisms to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water. They found that microplastic stress reduced the nutrient absorption capacity of the plants and altered the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may undermine the effectiveness of wetland-based water purification systems.
Effective Removal of Microplastic Particles from Wastewater Using Hydrophobic Bio-Substrates
Researchers tested natural cattail plant fibers as a low-cost, biodegradable material for removing microplastics from wastewater. The hydrophobic fibers were effective at adsorbing microplastic particles, with removal efficiency influenced by water chemistry and contact time. The study suggests that plant-based bio-adsorbents could offer a sustainable and affordable alternative for filtering microplastics from water treatment systems.
Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps as Plants Supporting the Process of Removing Microplastics from Aquatic Environments—Preliminary Research
In a four-month experiment, two aquatic plant species (yellow flag iris and loosestrife) significantly reduced microplastic concentrations in water by trapping the particles on their root systems. The plants effectively removed both small (46 micron) and larger (140 micron) polyethylene particles without negative effects on plant growth. This suggests that aquatic plants could be used as a natural, low-cost method for filtering microplastics from contaminated water.
The Barrier Role of Macrophytes in Pollution of Water Bodies with Micriplastics
Ukrainian researchers found that aquatic macrophytes (water plants) can act as physical barriers that trap microplastics and prevent their spread in water bodies. Wetland vegetation may offer a natural, low-cost way to reduce microplastic transport in rivers and lakes.
A vegetation strategy to balance the hazardous level of microplastics in the land–sea interface through rhizosphere remediation
Researchers reviewed how plants — especially aquatic plants in coastal wetlands and estuaries — can trap and break down microplastics through their root systems and surrounding soil microbes, a process called phytoremediation. Aquatic plants show particular promise because their roots are constantly submerged in contaminated water, giving them more exposure and capture potential than land-based crops.
Trade-off of abiotic stress response in floating macrophytes as affected by nanoplastic enrichment
Researchers exposed water hyacinth plants to polystyrene nanoplastics at varying concentrations for 28 days. They found that while the plants removed 61-91% of nanoplastics from the water, the particles reduced plant biomass, impaired photosynthesis, and caused oxidative stress in roots and leaves. The study suggests that floating plants in constructed wetlands can help filter nanoplastics but experience significant physiological trade-offs in the process.
Interplay of plastic pollution with algae and plants: hidden danger or a blessing?
Researchers tested the ability of three microalgae species to remove microplastics from water through bioadhesion, finding that all three species could adsorb particles onto their surfaces. Removal efficiency depended on particle size, surface charge, and algae cell morphology.
Microplastics retention by reeds in freshwater environment
Researchers sampled microplastics in sediment and plant tissue from reed beds in a freshwater environment, finding that reeds retained significantly more microplastics than adjacent open water sediments, suggesting that emergent vegetation may act as a natural microplastic sink.