Phytonanoremediation by Avicennia Germinans (black mangrove) and Nano Zero Valent Iron for Heavy Metal Uptake from Cienaga Las Cucharillas Wetland Soils

Abstract Plants may be used to remove or convert pollutants into harmless products by bioaccumulating, degrading, extracting, or immobilizing them. Phytoremediation processes offer advantages over traditional remediation methods such as chemical oxidation, excavation, and thermal treatments. A combined usage of mangroves and nano zero valent iron (nZVI), could be implemented for the remediation of Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and Arsenic (As) in contaminated wetlands. Here, a phytonanoremediation process which combined A. germinans and nZVI was evaluated for a period of 5 months using contaminated soil from Cienaga las Cucharillas, Catano, Puerto Rico. We evaluate the efficiency of the phytonanoremediation process using 15 individuals of A. germinans with and without nZVI to remove Cd, Pb and As in contaminated soil by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis measurements. A plant tissue analysis of root, stem and leave of A. germinans after nZVI exposure in their corresponding soil was conducted using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Bioaccumulation factors (BAF) and Translocation factors (TF) were calculated. A BAF