Urbanization near rivers and natural disasters, such as Hurricane María, have caused many bodies of water, and tap water, to be contaminated by heavy metals in Puerto Rico. An overabundance of heavy metals in the soil can alter the activity or composition of the microbial communities in the soil, which can prove damaging to plant growth or even the genetic variation of the plant. Previous studies conducted in India suggest that Sida rhombifolia L. can decrease the number of heavy metals found in the soil through a process of phytoaccumulation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate if Sida rhombifolia L. could be used in rhizofiltration, a process often used in greenhouses to purify water of heavy metals. To complete this goal 1) a deep water culture system with tap water will be built, 2) the water in the system will be tested using physicochemical analysis to see what heavy metals are present, 3) Sida rhombifolia L. will be transferred to the hydroponic system, and 4) Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) will be conducted to identify and quantify heavy metals present in the roots of the plant at different times of the experiment to monitor the uptake of heavy metals. Ultimately, significant uptake of heavy metals, such as lead and nickel, is expected to be detected in the plant, since previous studies have shown that this plant has an affinity for these metals. Also, it is expected that some uptake of other metals such as chromium, cadmium, zinc, and copper will be detected in water and plant samples. This research looks to find a fast, simple, economic, and eco-friendly manner to obtain safe water to be used for drinking and in greenhouses to grow healthy and sustainable food.

Sida rhombifolia L. to prevent heavy metal toxicity in tap water

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.