Assessment of Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metal by Pteris Vittata L. Growing in the Vicinity of Fly Ash

Pteris vittata L. subsp. vittata, a potential arsenic hyperaccumulator fern, growing naturally in the vicinity of fly ash was analyzed for the concentration of nine heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn Ni, Al, Cr, Pb, Si, and As) from five different sites around of Kanti Thermal Power Station at Muzaffarpur in Bihar State, India. Metal accumulation in P. vittata was correlated with the level of pollution at five selected sampling sites. The results revealed significantly more accumulation of these metals in the above ground parts of the plant than the parts below ground. Statistical parameters such as the coefficient of variation (CV%) showed a higher for As, Cu, Cr, and a lower one for Fe, Ni, Al. There was high spatial variability in the total metal concentration at different sites. The present study confirmed that P. vittata is a heavy metals accumulator and that it is a highly suitable candidate for phytoremediation of metal contaminated wastelands.