Levels of heavy metals concentration in aquatic plants and surface water from the Caño Tiburones wetland

CHED 338

Sergio J. Cardona-Gonzalez, srg_cardona@yahoo.com1, Yadiel Vega-Pérez, yadielvega@yahoo.com1, Ricardo A. López, ricardolopez15@hotmail.com2, Danelle E. González, danel_lxj@hotmail.com2, and Maiella Ramos-Fontan, mramos@upra.edu1. (1) Department of Physics and Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, P.O. Box 4010, Arecibo, PR 00614, (2) Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, P.O. Box 4010, Arecibo, PR 00614
In this work we addressed the uptake of iron, cadmium and nickel by Salvinia minima, Typha domingensis and Sagittaria lancifolia aquatic plants from the Caño Tiburones wetland. This hydrological system has been exposed to contamination by aqueous effluents produced from industrial activities, waste disposal sites, local or municipal sewage, agricultural activities among others. Samples were obtained from three sampling stations. Plant samples were digested using a microwave laboratory oven (CEM MARS X). Levels of heavy metals were determined in aquatic plant tissue by means of a flame atomic absorption spectrometer with a graphite furnace (PE AAnalyst-800). The heavy metals accumulated in the tissues of the aquatic plants under study may serve as chemical indicators for the evaluation of sources of pollution which affect the Caño Tiburones wetland.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Analytical Chemistry
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, March 26, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007