Grace, Autumn, Chemistry, Susquehanna University, 1858 Weber Way, Selinsgrove, PA, 17870, gracea@susqu.edu; Ashcraft, Sara, , Freshwater Research Institute, Susquehanna University, 1858 Weber Way, Selinsgrove, PA, 17870, ashcraft@susqu.edu.
Acid mine drainage (AMD) and its subsequent pollution of waterways are common problems throughout Pennsylvania. Phytoremediation has been shown to be an effective method for diminishing the negative effects on ecosystems affected by AMD. However, determining the best plants for use in phytoremediation can be complicated due to the concentration of heavy metals that a plant can accumulate, the environmental factors that affect accumulation and the effects of the chosen species on the rest of the environment. This study will examine the effects of water depth and the use of native versus nonnative species on the concentration of metal accumulated by each plant, including the translocation factor and the weekly rate of absorption. Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis will be the comparisons for native and nonnative species respectively. The two types of plants will be grown in synthesized AMD water similar to the affected water of Shamokin Reservoir, with distilled water as the control for each species. Each group will have water depths of 5 cm, 15 cm and 55 cm. Samples from the water and the roots, shoots and leaves of T. latifolia and P. australis will be taken weekly to determine change in water pH, metal concentration in the water and absorbed heavy metal concentration. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry will be used to determine the absorbed concentration in each group as well as the metal concentration of the initial water sample taken from Shamokin Reservoir. The differences between species in amount of accumulation, translocation factor and rate of accumulation depending on water depth will be used to contribute to the discussion of prioritizing native species or alternative accumulators for phytoremediation in Pennsylvania acid mine drainage affected sites.
Acid mine drainage, Phytoremediation, Typha latifolia, Phragmites australis