Concentrations of lead in aquatic macrophytes from Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada

The ability of aquatic macrophytes to accumulate lead was examined in the context of sample site, sample date, depth, organ and species. Considerable variations in lead concentrations were found between the 11 species of macrophytes studied. The mean lead concentration for all species sampled was 16 microg/g (dry weight) ranging from 0-78 microg/g. Analysis of variance indicated that there were significant differences in the mean lead content of macrophytes collected from different sample sites. Similarly, significantly higher values were observed for plants collected from the upper 2m of water. Seasonal trends in lead accumulation were not observed for Shoal Lake macrophytes.