Investigation of the Role of Fern in the Removal of Heavy Metal Lead from Aquatic Environments Using the Phytoremediation Process

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Water and Wastewater Research Center, Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Saveh Institute of Higher Energy Education, Saveh, Iran.

10.22059/jwim.2025.393438.1220

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the potential of phytoremediation for removing lead, a heavy metal, using fern plants. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized trial with five replications under greenhouse conditions. The treatment levels comprised four concentrations of lead in water: 0, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L. Data analysis was performed using SPSS V21, and mean comparisons were conducted with Duncan's test at a significance level of 0.05, while graphs were generated using Excel software. The results from the variance analysis indicated that lead treatment significantly influenced electrical conductivity, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, soluble sodium, and total hardness at the 1% significance level, as well as pH and iron content at the 5% level. However, the effect of lead concentration on the lead content in various drainage treatments was not statistically significant. Overall, the findings suggest that the lead concentrations tested in this study did not adversely affect the growth of fern plants. This conclusion is further supported by the transfer and bioaccumulation factors observed. Therefore, it can be inferred that fern plants exhibited resistance to lead concentrations in water, indicating that levels up to 300 mg/L had no significant impact on the length and weight of leaves and stems.

Therefore, it can be inferred that fern plants exhibited resistance to lead concentrations in water, indicating that levels up to 300 mg/L had no significant impact on the length and weight of leaves and stems.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Water and Irrigation Management
Volume 15, Issue 2
October 2025
Pages 379-392

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