F R E S H W A T E R A Q U A T I C M A C R O P H Y T E S AS H E A V Y M E T A L

MONITORS - THE OTTAWA RIVER EXPERIENCE

D . C. M O R T I M E R
Ecotoxicology Group, Division of Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa,
Canada KIA OR6

(Received 15 May, 1985)

Abstract. The ability of freshwater aquatic vascular plants to accumulate heavy metals was examined in
some detail during a five year study. Differences in uptake rate were found to depend on the species of plant,
the seasonal growth rate changes and the metal ion being absorbed. Lead and mercury were concentrated
to a greater extent than the lighter nickel and copper. Laboratory experiments were designed to establish
uptake rate constants which were used to calculate water concentrations of mercury from the analyses of
plant samples from the river. 'Background' levels of mercury in aquatic plants of 35-50 ng g - ~ dry weight
corresponded to a water concentration near 15 ng L - 1 of total mercury of which 25-30% was methyl-
mercury. Higher concentrations of mercury in the plants indicated a proportional increase in the mercury
level in the water.

1. Introduction

The accumulation of heavy metal ions by aquatic macrophytes from the water in which
they are growing has been documented by a number of authors. Dietz (1973) reported
the concentrating capacity for several metallic ions absorbed by four species growing
in the Ruhr River. He noted that the degree of enrichment depended both on the kind
of metal and on the species of plant absorbing the metal. With two sampling stations
in the Leine River, one above and one below the city of Gottingen, Abo-Rady (1980)
observed increases in aquatic plant tissue concentrations of several heavy metals at the
downstream station relative to the upstream station. He also noted that the accumu-
lation seemed to depend both on the species and the metal. Ray and White (1979) found
that the irregular distribution of the aquatic plants in the stream system draining a base
metal mining area in New Brunswick, Canada limited the usefulness of these plants as
monitoring agents but they did obtain similar results to the above with at least one
species. Franzin and McFarlane (1980) did not find any correlation between the uptake
by Myriophyllum and the concentration of 7 metallic ions in the sediments of 6 Canadian
lakes. Eriksson and Mortimer (1975) had reported earlier that in laboratory experiments
rooted aquatic plants absorbed mercury from the water into the submerged green parts
and subsequently moved the metal to the roots. Dolar et al. (1971) studied the uptake
of a variety of mercury compounds by Myriophyllum but their relatively high metal
concentration (0.5 ~tg m L - 1) in the water induced toxicity in the plants. Also working
at higher than environmental levels (0.025-0.5 Ixg m L - ~), Nakada et al. (1979) ob-
served a decreasing enrichment factor with increasing metal concentration and a higher
factor with lead than with cadmium, copper or zinc. Their plant, Elodea nutallii, also
accumulated a higher concentration of metal in the growing tip than in the rest of the
NRCC No. 24493.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 5 (1985) 311-323. 0049-6979/85.15.

9 1985 by D. Reidel Publishing Company.
312 D . C . MORTIMER

plant. Stokes etaL (1983) have recently reported the use of filamentous algae as
accumulators of methylmercury from lake waters. Analyses of these plants for mercury
content were correlated with methylmercury levels in fish from the same lakes.
The emphasis of these studies gradually shifted toward the use of aquatic plants as
monitors for heavy metal water pollution. For example, Ray and White (1976) outlined
a number of parameters such as widespread distribution of the plant species, required
to achieve this objective. Say and Whitton (1983) also designed what they regard as a
'standard' procedure based on the use of the aquatic bryophyte, Fontinalis antipyretica,
to monitor water systems in Great Britain and Belgium.
While studying the distribution and transport of pollutants in the Ottawa River
system, we examined in some detail the accumulation of mercury compounds from the
water into aquatic plants, (Ottawa River Project Group, 1979) coupling laboratory
studies based on conditions observed in the river with analyses of samples taken from
the river. Since the project extended over 4 yr (1972-1977), field data were collected
over 3 or more growing seasons. During this period we also collected aquatic plants from
the St. Lawrence River to compare levels of mercury in a different river system with
those in the Ottawa River. The data presented in this paper will show that when the
growth rates and heavy metal uptake characteristics of the aquatic plants have been
established by laboratory experiments, samples of the same species taken from water
systems can be used to estimate the concentration of and also the kind of mercury
compounds in the water.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. LABORATORYSTUDIES
Uptake studies were carried out in a flowing water system similar to that described by
Mortimer and Kudo (1975). Six 50 L glass aquaria were set up in parallel, with an
outflow tube maintaining the water level in each aquarium at 45 L. Input water flow was
adjusted to provide a complete exchange of water in 24 hr, (about 30 mL m i n - i). The
toxic metal input was metered into this stream through a pumping system delivering
about 1 mL 10min -1. Thus to maintain an aquarium concentration of say
0.01 ~tg m L - i in the flowing water, the toxic metal solution concentration was set at
300 times this level or 3 ~tg m L - i. New solutions were made up every 3 days and the
reservoirs were held at + 2 ~C for the duration of the experiment.
Plants were set in these aquaria in about 2 cm of washed, white quartz sand uniformly
spread over the bottom. Lighting was provided by 2 - 4 ft (122 cm) cool white fluorescent
tubes plus 6-40 W light bulbs. Two sets of lights were required to illuminate 6 aquaria.
All lights were about 40 cm above the water surface and were timed to a 16 hr day
beginning at 6 AM. Water temperature was maintained at 21 ~ minimum to about
25 ~ maximum in mid summer. Plants were collected from the Ottawa River in the
study site or in the case ofElodea densa, were purchased from a local aquarium supply
house. Most laboratory experiments were carried out in the summer and completed
 FRESHWATER AQUATIC MACROPHYTES AS HEAVY METAL MONITORS 313

before the end of August, when the plants were entering senescence and uptake
decreased drastically. Elodea densa could be used over a much longer season, almost
year round, which made it the species of choice for several experiments.
When inorganic mercury or methylmercury were used, radioactive mercury (203) was
added as the tracer. Solutions were made up with tracer amounts of the radioactive form
and the required amount of unlabelled mercury salt. At the low levels used in some
experiments the cartier in the radioactive salt set the lowest limit that could be used.
The concentration of mercury in the plant tissue was then established by counting the
radioactivity and multiplying by the known specific activity. All results were calculated
on a dry weight basis. Aquatic plant samples could be oven-dried at 90 ~C without loss
of mercury in either the inorganic or methylmercury form. Samples (at least 10) of Elodea
plants which had biologically incorporated radioactive inorganic or methyl mercury
were counted before and after oven drying. There was no measureable loss for at least
48 hr drying. The usual drying period was 16 hr. Counting was accomplished in a Tracor
Analytic 1197 G a m m a Counter with a 3 inch sodium iodide crystal to a standard error
of 2~o.
Some comparative experiments were run with other toxic metals in the water. These
included lead, cadmium, nickel and copper. The only difference from the procedures
described concerned the analysis. Weighted samples of dried tissue (0.1-0.5 g) were
digested in microkjeldahl flasks in a 50-50 mixture of perchloric and nitric acids. The
digest was diluted to 10 mL in deionized water, filtered to remove the silica which was
a significant constituent, particularly in Elodea, and finally diluted to the appropriate
volume for analysis by flame atomic absorption (Jerrel Ash Model 850).
In all aquarium experiments, metals were added as the chloride or nitrate. However,
at the dilutions employed the added anion probably had no significance. The pH of the
water was 6.8 to 7.0, a value established by the growing submerged aquatic plants. The
mean pH of the Ottawa River water during the period of this study was 7.2 (Ottawa
River Project Final Report, 14.8).
Sediments were analysed for total mercury by permanganate/persulfate oxidation and
water by extraction with dithizone in chloroform (Norstrom, 1977), followed by
flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

2.2. FIELD STUDIES

The study area was a 5 km stretch of the Ottawa River near the eastern edge of Ottawa.
Several plant species were collected by digging all of the contents of a 0.25 m 2 quadrat
set in an area of plant growth to a depth of 30 cm of sediment. Thus both roots and
tops were available for analysis. These kilogram quantities of fresh plants were returned
to the laboratory, sorted, washed in municipal water and oven dried. The oven-dried
parts, usually tops (shoots) and roots, were then ground to 20 mesh particle size in a
micro Wiley Mill. One gram portions of this well-mixed powder were weighed into the
analysis cups for mercury determination by flameless atomic absorption. The analysis
used the modification described by Norstom (1977) which reduced the detection limit
to 10 ng or less. The mixing of the sample for analysis was important but difficult. Dried
314 D . C . MORTIMER

plant powder segregates very easily into coarse and fine material because of static
charges. The specific activity of the fine material was 3 to 5 times higher than that for
the coarse parts. The latter were microscopically identifed as epidermal and fibre
components.
Sampling sites were reached by a motorized boat and samples were collected by going
over the side of the boat in hip waders. The depth of water ranged from a few centimeters
to about one meter, which was the limit for the waders. Very few plants grew in deeper
water, presumably because the water was too turbid. Collections were made at one and
two week intervals from late May into September. Weather and water levels modified
these dates by one or more weeks in some years. The bottom sediment was mostly sand
but in areas sheltered from the current this sand was mixed with varying amounts of
organic matter, presumably decayed plant parts from earlier years along with material
deposited from the water among the plant stems. These plant samples were also used
to determine productivity as a function of species, habitat and season. These data will
be reported elsewhere.
For collections from the St. Lawrence River, a different technique was required,
because the water was deeper and much clearer. Plants were growing at depths of at
least 3 m. A weighted rake head on the end of a rope was thrown over the side of the
boat into the plant bed, then drawn back into the boat usually with a good collection
of plants. Sediments and roots were not collected with this set of samples.

3. Results

The data will be considered from several viewpoints. First the uptake rates as a function
of plant species and age, then the uptake rates of different metallic ions and finally the
use of this information to locate a point source of mercury input into a river.

3.1. EFFECT OF PLANT SPECIES

The fact that different species have different uptake rates of the same metal under
identical conditions is illustrated in Table I. Plants of Elodea densa and E. canadensis
were set in the same aquarium with water containing about 0.7 lag L - i of inorganic
mercury flowing through at 30 mL m i n - i . Individual plants were removed at daily
intervals, counted for radioactivity and weighed. The data clearly show that E. canaden-
sis accumulates about 4 times as much mercury as E. densa. Under similar conditions,
the uptake rates for 4 other species of submerged aquatics were measured. The data in
Table II show that the concentration factor (lag Hg g - 1 dry wt of plant absorbed per
day lag- 1 Hg m L - 1 of water) varied from 0.9 x 103 to 3.3 x 103 depending on the
species. The highest value achieved earlier (Mortimer and Kudo, 1975) with Elodea
densa was about 5 x 103 for both inorganic and methylmercury. Although there are no
data to illustrate the point, I recognize that actively growing plants of any species absorb
metallic ions much faster than old or senescing plants. This is an important factor in
aquarium experiments.
 FRESHWATERAQUATICMACROPHYTESAS HEAVYMETALMONITORS 315

TABLE I
Absorption of inorganic mercury by two Elodea species
from flowing water a

Day E. densa E. canadensis

2 0.012 I~gg- 1b 0.032

3 0.046 0.108
4 0.058 0.149
5 0.085 0.184
6 0.101 0.230
7 0.120 0.265
10 0.143 0.406

a The average water concentration of radioactive mer-

cury was about 0.7 ~tgL- 1 at a temperature of 21 ~
b Calculated from the specific activity of the radioactive
mercury and the dry weight of the plants (about 230 mg
dry weight).

TABLE II
Inorganic mercury uptake by submerged species of aquatic plants a

Species Day Conc. factor b

4 10 14

Utricularia 5.1 9.9 12.8 3.3 x 103

Ceratophyllum 1.5 3.9 5.1 1.3
Najas 1.4 2.9 3.5 0.9
Nitella 5.2 1.3

Plants taken from the Ottawa River were floated or planted in aquaria with
flowing water (30 mL rain- 1) containing 203 Hg solution, to give a water concen-
tration of 0.28 ~tgL- 1.
b Concentration factor: ~tgg- 1dry wt in plant/IxgmL- 1 in water day- 1.

3.2. EFFECT OF TISSUE AGE

As indicated above there is an effect of physiological age of the plant tissue. This is
illustrated in T a b l e III. E l o d e a d e n s a plants were dissected after 35 days of growth in
aquaria c o n t a i n i n g inorganic or methylmercury. There was a particularly high concen-
tration of methylmercury in the youngest tissue relative to the old tissue. A similar effect,
but with less contrast, was f o u n d with inorganic mercury. The tissue weight d a t a in this
Table illustrate another observation, which is that growth in the presence of methyl
mercury (518.4 mg) is m u c h less t h a n in the presence of inorganic mercury (836 mg).
W h e n field samples of aquatic plants taken from the O t t a w a River were analysed for
both inorganic a n d methylmercury, the proportion of methylmercury to total mercury
was about 31~/o for the shoots or tops a n d about 10~o for the roots (Table IV). T h a t
316 D. C. M O R T I M E R

TABLE III
Influence of tissue age on the absorption of mercury by Elodea densa a

Methylmercury Inorganic mercury

Wt/plant part Hg/plant part Wt/plant part Hg/plant part

mg dry wt cpm g - 1 mg dry wt cpm g - 1

56.0 106.9 • 103 Tip 78.8 7.6 x 103

47.0 52.3 91.9 5.6
49.5 32.0 66.2 7.7

31.9 38.0 Young 54.7 6.3

49.3 31.4 42.7 4.7
17.5 36.8 74.3 7.7

46.1 27.6 Old 80.3 4.7

60.4 26.2 88.5 4.7
89.0 20.1 91,9 3.6
62.7 16.3 74. t 4.6
113.1 2.3

17.0 50.0 Root 6.3 3.3

a Elodea plants were set in separate aquari with flowing water (30 mL min- 1) containing an
average 1 cpm m L - 1 of 2~ for 35 days. Individual plants were cut into 6 cm sections,
counted, dried and weighed. The values are the means of three plants for each treatment.

TABLE IV
Organic mercury content ( ~ of total) of aquatic plant samples a

Species Shoots Roots No. of samples

1975Sagittaria latifolia 38.6 8.7 4

Elodea canadensis 29.9 2
Sparganium angustifolium 30.2 14. 4 3
Sparganium eurycarpum 47.8 10.5 3

1976
Sagittaria latifolia 27.4 12.0 9
Elodea canadensis 24.2 11.2 6
Sparganium angustzfolium 32.7 7.6 8
Sparganium eurycarpum 22.9 7.5 4

Means 31.7 10.3

s. latifolia and Sp. eurycarpum are emergent species. Samples were from the total shoots
for all species. Analysed by flameless atomic absorption. Organic mercury by difference
between total and inorganic values. Each determination was replicated three times.

is, t h e r e is a n i n t e r n a l f r a c t i o n a t i o n o f m e t a l l i c i o n s p e c i e s w i t h i n t h e p l a n t . S e v e r a l p l a n t
s p e c i e s s e e m t o b e a f f e c t e d i n a s i m i l a r w a y . T h e s e a s o n a l c h a n g e s in m e r c u r y
c o n c e n t r a t i o n in t h e t i s s u e a r e a c o m b i n e d effect o f g r o w t h r a t e s , t r a n s f e r o f m a t e r i a l
 TABLE V
Seasonal changes in mercury content of aquatic plants expressed as ng g - r dry weight: shoots/(roots)*

June July August b 8

b
Sagittaria 93.9 77.0 74.6 58.5 63.9 53.7 2
latiflia (144.6) (192.4) (206.5) (120.9) (111.3) (115.4)
Sparganium 214.5 112.2 170.5 127.6 111.7 70.5 211.3 121.7 121.5 z
80.5 g
angustifolium (251.5) ( 97.4) 123.5) (145.7) (120.8) (117.3) g
Elodea 77.9 91.3 78.5 225.1 192.4 103 64.8 2
canadensir 158.6) (259.5) (188.0) 3
c1
Sparganium 109.1 164.4 62.2 92.5 50.0 t
eurycarpum (199.2) (550.4) ( 48.0) (43 1.2) 260.1) ;
F
Phalaris 79.3 176.0 253.8 126.4 131.0 3
arundinacea (275.6) (213.4) (211.2) (447.9) 3:
2
a Each value is the mean of triplicate analyses of aliquots taken from 200 to 1500 g of dried plant tissue. ?J
b Samples were collected at approximately weekly intervals during the 1975 growing season. z
z
318 D.C. MORTIMER

from root to shoot and back again and senescence in the fall. The accumulated data
for 5 plant species collected from the same sites over a summer season are summarized
in Table V. The total mercury concentration varied considerably within one month and
also from month to month. Both tops and roots show the variability. We regard
50 ng g 1 dry wt as the background level so most of these samples indicate that there
was contamination of the water by mercury at this time (1975). Whether the mercury
found in the roots of the emergent species, Sparganium eurycarpum, was much higher
than that in the tops because of absorption of mercury from the sediment was not
resolved.

3.3. E F F E C T OF S E D I M E N T

The relation between the mercury content of the sediments and the aquatic plants
growing in them is shown as Figure 1. Plant mercury analyses include those shown in

Greens I-I
Roots FI
ng Hg/g dry weight
600- Sediments I
I. Sag. latifolio
2. Sp. angustifolium ,~
500 3. E. canadensis z
4. P. cordato -,
5. Sp. eurycarpum
T zz F/

400 /A
/
6. Ph. orundinoceoe ;';, r

/ Z
/
/A
500 r
CA
,A
/ iy,

200

I00

I 2 3 4 5
1
l 6
Fig. 1. The range of total mercury concentration over the 1975 growing season for 6 plant species and the
sediment associated with each species. Each bar includes the means of triplicate analysis for 5 or 6 individual
samples taken from a single site for each species, (41=4 sediment, 1 only). The Ottawa River water was
estimated to contain 15-20 ng L - ~ total mercury at this time.
 FRESHWATER AQUATIC MACROPHYTES AS HEAVY METAL MONITORS 319

Table V with the addition of the corresponding mercury contents of sediments which
were collected from the zone in which the plants were growing. The variability of the
sediment mercury levels over the growing season suggest a relation to the plants. From
earlier laboratory experiments we were able to conclude that mercury was absorbed
from the water and transported to the roots within the plant (Eriksson and Mortimer,
1975). Thus the mercury found in the river sediments could have come from the decayed
roots of earlier years plant productivity.

3.4. E F F E C T OF METAL ION

The uptake of heavy metals from water by aquatic plants is also affected by the kind
of ion. The comparative results in Table VI show that the concentration factor for lead
is about 6 times that for nickel, while copper actually leaked out of the plants during
this experiment. The copper content of the experimental water (1/10th Hoagland's
medium in deionized water) was less than that in the aquaria where the plants were

TABLE VI
Uptake of heavy metals by Elodea densa from flowing water a

Metal b Day Conc.

factorc
0 3 8 12

Copper 278 179 139 133

Lead 14 29 55 182 1400
Cadmium 17 34 59 118 900
Nickel 37 41 59 63 200

a The flowing water was 1/10th strength Hoagland's medium in deionized

water. Three 15 cm plants were used for each sample.
b The metal solution were metered into the flowing water stream to give an
aquarium concentration of 0.01 lag m L - l of metal.
c Concentration factor: lag metal g-1 dry weight in plant/lag m L - 1 in Water
d a y - 1.

cultured in municipal water which flowed through copper pipes. Under similar con-
ditions, inorganic mercury and methylmercury had concentration factors which were the
same at 1500. It is interesting to note that the higher atomic weight ions, mercury and
lead, were concentrated by Elodea much more effectively than the lower atomic weight
ions, cadmium and nickel.

3.5. EFFECT OF WATER SOURCE

The total mercury analyses of the samples collected from the St. Lawrence River are
presented as Table VII and the collection sites are identified in Figure 2. The river has
an average flow of 6.8 x 106 L sec - 1. with about 1/3 of this flowing through the North
Channel around St. Regis Island. An earlier sediment survey of this region (Ontario
Ministry of the Environment, 1977) had shown that the river sediments adjacent to the
North shore in front of Cornwall townsite had elevated sediment mercury levels.
320 D. C. MORTIMER

T A B L E VII
Total mercury in aquatic plants a from the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Canada

Sample No. North channel b South channel

1976 1978 1978 1976 1978 1978

1 45 40 r 70
2 87 39
3 42 17
4 247 316 40
5 382 28
6 207 24
7 68 96 24
8 55 55
9 115 34 54
10 317 30 54
11 1600
12 1235 1020
13 53 104
14 95 39
15 29
16 57 32

a The plants collected were all a single species fo MyriophyUum which grew to heights of 1
to 3 m depending on water depth. About 50 cm of tip growth were taken for analysis. Samples
were collected Oct. 10, 1976, July 15, and August 18, 1978.
b The sample numbers are the same as the site identifications marked on the m a p (Figure 2).
r ng mercury/g dry wt of plant sample. Mean of triplicate analyses.

Evidence for this may be seen in the 207 to 382 ng g - 1 total mercury found in North
channel samples 4, 5, and 6. The unusually high levels found in samples 11 and 12
(1600 ng g - 1) were unexpected. An additional surprise was that these samples were
nearly 100~ inorganic mercury instead of the usual 7 0 ~ . We eventually found a 4 inch
(10 cm) pipe coming out of the river bank just upstream from the sample 11 position.
This pipe was traced back to a synthetic fibre factory which was using the alkali from
the local chloralkali plant as part of its manufacturing process. Assuming that the
factory was in an equilibrium state with respect to mercury content and that the
incoming alkali had no more than the statutory 0.5 ~tg m L - 1 of Hg + +, we were able
to calculate, with the cooperation of the research management of the fibre factory, that
about 40 g of mercuric ion were draining into the river from that pipe every day. It is
interesting to note ~hat this input was quickly diluted to background levels in the fast
flowing water since downstream samples 13 to 16 were all at background levels of
mercury.
Because all of the South Channel samples showed accumulations of 50 ng g - ~or less,
corresponding to the background water concentration, we were able to conclude that
there was not a significant input of mercury into the South Channel of the St. Lawrence
River, and that in general, that river was less contaminated by mercury than the Ottawa
River.
 45"02'N
~
e14 elO .
U~e15 lal

;>
Cornwall ,13 ~ ~o~ .. ~ ~ C

lie St. Regis

0
Cornwall Island //V/''' e6 e8

e7
~ / / / \\
New York

e4

\
\
\

e2
0
Z

Scale 0
i i i i j
1000 2000 3 0 0 0 Met res

St, Lawrence River (Cornwall Section)

Fig. 2. Outline map of a 15 km section of the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario. Numbers 1 to 16 identify the sites from which plant samples were collected
for mercury analysis in 1976 and 1978. The analytical results are presented in Table VII.
322 D. C. M O R T I M E R

4. Discussion

The changes in accumulation rates of heavy metals as a function of the season and
physiological age of the plant, the localization of the accumulated metal in growing parts
and the effect of metal concentration on the uptake rate all make relevant laboratory
studies essential before aquatic plants can be used to monitor the heavy metal concen-
trations in water. Each of the heavy metals will have its own characteristics, and each
plant species accumulates differently. From the data presented, it is clear that the higher
molecular weight ions (lead and mercury) are accumulated much more effectively than
are lower atomic weight elements such as nickel. This evidence is not consistent with
current theories about movement of ions across membranes.
Sufficient laboratory data were obtained studying the characteristics of inorganic and
methylmercury uptake to permit the use of plant sampling in river water as the means
for estimating the amount and kind of mercury in the water. For example if an Elodea
plant collected in mid-July contained 300 ng g - 1 dry weight total mercury, then the
water in which it was growing would contain about 20 ng L - 1 . The calculations are
based on a concentration factor of 1500. That is, one gram dry weight of plant tissue
absorbs all of mercury from 1500 m L of water per day. The sample was the tip
10-15 cm, which would represent about 10 days growth at that time of year. Thus the
uptake was about 30 ng/day, which divided by the uptake factor gives a water concen-
tration of 20 ng L 1. Since the 300 ng g - 1 was about 30~o methylmercury and since
both species of mercury are absorbed at the same rate, then the water would contain
about 6 ng L - 1 of methylmercury and 14 ng L - 1 of inorganic mercury. These values
were later confirmed when Kudo et al. (1982) reported on methods developed for the
direct analysis of water.
The sensitivity of the method was amply demonstrated by the samples collected from
the St. Lawrence River. The current in this section was at least 1 m min - ~and the depth
close to the shore was about 1.5 m. The Myriophyllum plants did accumulate the mercury
draining into the river and the differential analysis did reflect the later discovery that the
input source was indeed inorganic mercury. The rapid dispersal of such a point source
in a large river was illustrated by the low mercury contents of downstream samples.
The relation between the heavy metal content of rooted aquatic plants and the
sediment in which they are growing is by no means direct. The accumulated evidence
from this study indicates that for the heavy metals there is probably no relation based
on root absorption and upward transport. The experimental evidence suggests that
movement in the reverse direction is more dominant. That is, metals contained in the
water can be absorbed by the submerged stems and leaves, transported to the roots and
added to the sediment concentration when the roots die.

Acknowledgements

Plant samples were collected from the rivers with the able assistance of a group of
summer students over several years: Diane Alarie, Chris Archibald, Susan Burzynski,
 FRESHWATERAQUATICMACROPHYTESAS HEAVYMETALMONITORS 323

D a v i d C o l e m a n , K a t h y r n E m m e t t , D a v i d Kristie, R a y m o n d L e g g e a n d Sylvie Laliberte.

H u n d r e d s o f p l a n t s a m p l e s w e r e a n a l y s e d for m e r c u r y by a t o m i c a b s o r p t i o n by E v a
Javorsky with consistent care and dedication.

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