Assessment of Heavy Metals in Water, Sediment and Macrophytes in Old Glasswork Sites: Implications for Phytoremediation Management

Abstract Our study found that sediment heavy metal content is the primary factor influencing heavy metal uptake by emergent macrophyte species. This research aimed to quantify the concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Si, and Zn) in emergent macrophytes— Lysimachia thyrsiflora, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Phragmites australis, Glyceria fluitans, Carex nigra, Equisetum fluviatile, and Juncus effusus —as well as in the corresponding water and sediment samples from Orrefors, Läen, and Emmaboda, to assess their net accumulation and translocation capacity for application in phytoremediation management. Our results revealed that the sediment As concentration at the Emmaboda site was 23 times higher than the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swe EPA) guideline value. At the Orrefors and Läen sites, the concentrations of heavy metals and the metalloid in water followed the descending order: Zn > Pb > Cu > As > Cd. Among the studied species, L. thyrsiflora was the most abundant across locations and exhibited the highest As accumulation (1,603 mg/kg) in its roots, with minimal translocation to its shoots. Si and Zn showed relatively high translocation to the shoots in most of the surveyed emergent macrophytes, regardless of location. This preliminary study indicates the substantial heavy metal accumulation in L. thyrsiflora and J. effusus . In combination with their limited translocation to the shoots, this underscores their strong potential for phytoremediation-based management of contaminated glasswork sites.