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Adsorption of Mercury and Zinc in Agricultural Soils by Sphagneticola trilobata

Ana María Aveiga Ortiz, Cruz Pinargote, Fabián Peñarrieta, Jorge Teca, Francisco Alejandro Alcántara Boza · 2022 · 5 citationsRead the paper

Given the imminent deterioration of environmental quality, the accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soil is one of the main concerns worldwide.Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the adsorption potential of mercury and zinc by Sphagneticola trilobata.After 60 days, the distribution of heavy metals in the roots and the leaves of the plants was determined.As a result, the plant adsorbed mercury between 43.49 and 59.22%, and zinc between 32.68 and 64.37%.According to the bioconcentration and translocation factors of Sphagneticola trilobata obtained in the present work, the phytostabilizing capacity of mercury and zinc is like Eichhornia crassipes and Sorghum bicolor.

What the full text shows

Working prototype
  • Mercury removal in microcosmos pots — 59.22% reduction (26.53 to 10.83 μg/g) (60 days in greenhouse pots)
  • Zinc removal in microcosmos pots — 64.37% reduction (186.69 to 66.51 μg/g) (60 days in greenhouse pots)
  • Mercury removal in situ (soil) — 43.49% reduction (24.88 to 14.06 μg/g) (90 days in field plots)
  • Zinc removal in situ (soil) — 32.68% reduction (101.24 to 68.15 μg/g) (90 days in field plots)
  • Mercury bioconcentration and translocation — BCF = 1.16, TF = 0.01 (Sphagneticola trilobata)
  • Zinc bioconcentration and translocation — BCF = 1.06, TF = 0.35 (Sphagneticola trilobata)
Setup
Greenhouse pots (6 kg soil each) and two 40 m2 field plots in Manabí, Ecuador; plants were Sphagneticola trilobata (20-25 cm height).
How
The study used a greenhouse microcosmos experiment with contaminated soil and an in situ field test in agricultural plots. Metal concentrations in soil and plant tissues were measured using inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).
Limitations
Small sample size for field plots (two 40 m2 plots) · Short duration of study (60-90 days)

Summarized by Gemma 4 from the open-access full text · 10 Oct 2026. Read it