Phytoremediation of fungicides by aquatic macrophytes: Toxicity and removal rate

The rate of removal of two fungicides (dimethomorph and pyrimethanil) from water by five macrophyte species (L. minor, S. polyrhiza, C. aquatica, C. palustris and E. canadensis) was assessed in laboratory tests. In order to assure that these studies were performed with healthy plants the effects of the fungicides on chlorophyll fluorescence were studied as well. At exposure concentrations of 600 μg L⁻¹ the effects of the fungicides on chlorophyll fluorescence were minor, so that this initial concentration level was selected for the fungicide removal rate tests. The removal yields during the 4-d test periods varied from 10% to 18% and 7% to 12% for dimethomorph and pyrimethanil, respectively. The maximum removal rate during the 4-d test period was 48 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight (FW) for dimethomorph and 33 μg g⁻¹ FW for pyrimethanil. L. minor and S. polyrhiza showed the highest removal efficiency for the two fungicides.