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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation
Published on: July 4, 2014
Arsenic uptake by common marsh fern Thelypteris palustris and its potential for phytoremediation
LaShunda Anderson1, Maud M Walsh
1Department of Agronomy and Environmental Management, Louisiana State University, 104 Sturgis Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. lander7@lsu.edu
Abstract:
Hydroponic and soil cultivations of Thelypteris palustris, the common marsh fern, were used to investigate its potential for use in phytoremediation of arsenic (As) contaminated water or soil. ICP-MS analyses indicate that both roots and fronds accumulated arsenic in levels up to 100 times the concentration of treatment solutions of 250 microg/L and 500 mug/L arsenic, but values varied widely and there was no significant difference in concentrations in fronds between the control (no arsenic) and treatments. Plants exposed to 500 microg/L exhibited necrosis in their fronds, suggesting that Thelypteris palustris is not a good candidate for phyotoremediation of arsenic-contaminated sites.
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